


Rough Surfaces

by Fairhaven74



Series: Rough Surfaces Series [1]
Category: NCIS, White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Anthony DiNozzo Sr., Bittersweet, Competent Tony DiNozzo, Dom/sub Undertones, Episode: s02e23 Twilight, Explicit Sexual Content, Forced Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Light BDSM, M/M, Mpreg, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, OOC/Neal Caffrey, Pining, Prostitution, Public Sex, References to Depression, Sex Toys, Smart Tony DiNozzo, Spoilers for episode: s02e22 SWAK, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 02:49:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 62
Words: 87,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6886300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fairhaven74/pseuds/Fairhaven74
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony hated Adler and as soon as he could find a way he was going to get Neal and himself out of this life.  </p>
<p>****Warning****<br/>This does not start out very happy.  I have played around with people and their history some.  This is AU.  It is Mpreg so if you don't like that please don't read.  This is dark in parts, but does have a positive outlook.  This is not a work of BDSM, but does reference certain actions related to it.  You probably will be able to follow the story without knowing the show White Collar.  This will follow more with NCIS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything I'm just having fun with the characters. All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a bit of editing with the help of bobdog54. All remaining mistakes are still mine. I'm just having fun with these characters; I don't own anything. Feedback is welcome. If you read the first chapter before there are some changes to it. Nothing that is really big.

Tony hated this. He was pushed up against a wall in an alley trying to keep the man behind him from scraping his face and other parts against the rough surface. Tony’s pants were pulled down and he was being thrust into by big and ugly. He could here Neal just down from him getting the same treatment from his guy. Neither Neal nor Tony wanted to be there, but Adler had _lost_ a few of his _workers_ and so Neal and Tony needed to fill in for them.

Tony hated Adler and as soon as he could get the rest of the money they needed he was going to get Neal and himself out of this life. Normally, Adler used Tony and Neal for his more exclusive clientele. Tony and Neal were both young and good looking so they tended to bring in a good price from the higher end clients, but Adler had been ‘busy’ working over his lower—end workers and he had some _casualties_. Tony wouldn’t be with him if it wasn’t for Tony’s father. Tony had been at a military academy in Rhode Island when his father showed up to remove him. His father had told the school that he was moving to Europe and wanted to take Tony with him; of course, he would enroll Tony in a new school once they settled. Tony knew it was a lie; he could always tell when his father was lying. As soon as they were off school grounds Tony’s father told Tony what really was going to happen. His father had gotten into some serious debt and to get out of it he decided to hand Tony over to the man. Vincent Adler had a thriving import-export business, but on the side, he ran an illegal yet very successful, escort service. Tony’s father basically, sold him to Adler for debt settlement.

Tony was brought back to reality when the man finally finished and pulled out. The man slapped Tony on the ass and tossed some money on the ground for him. Tony quickly grabbed the money and pulled up his pants, as he was zipping up Neal came over to him and handed him the money he collected as well. If it wasn’t for Neal, Tony would have run as soon as he was delivered to Adler, but Tony had met Neal and he could not let him stay in Adler’s tender mercies. Tony quickly sorted the money and made certain that the amount Adler would get was more than his usual cut, but not too much. Tony put the remaining money in his shoe with the rest of their hidden funds. He and Neal had been saving up for a while now and they just needed a bit more to get the hell away from Adler. Tony had scholarships lined up for both of them at Ohio State; they were going to go there and make something of themselves.

Tony had always traded on his good looks, and his athletic ability; but when he could no longer use his athletic ability he began focusing on his intelligence. He started to study hard and found a way to bypass Adler’s minions, well he started to give one of the minions a daily blowjob as payment so he could get to a high school and finish his education. Instead of sleeping, Tony would drag Neal with him and they both had gotten their high school diplomas recently. Tony’s scores were high enough that he was able to apply to colleges and Ohio State accepted him. Neal had had high scores as well and Tony made certain he had applied as well. Neal wanted to be an artist, but Tony told him he needed to have a job that would pay the bills and not one that required selling his body. Neal relented and agreed to go with Tony.

They had until August to get to Ohio, find a place to live and hope to find a job that would pay enough for them to live off. They both had full tuition scholarships, but Tony did not want to take that for granted.

They made their way back to Adler’s and gave him his money. Adler just smiled at them and told them to be ready tomorrow night because he had a big party for them to attend with some new, very important clients. Tony knew that smile and he really hated it. That smile usually meant that he would find himself tied up being spanked by some guy who wanted a submissive partner. Tony didn’t mind being submissive during sex he just didn’t like being force to do it. He pulled Neal away from Adler before the sadistic man got any ideas of what to do to Neal. Adler had a thing for Neal and would take every opportunity to use him in as many painful ways he possible.

When they made it to the room they shared, Tony dragged Neal into the shower and started to wash him off. Neal was always a bit out of it when he had nights like this and needed Tony to take care of him. Tony always kept an eye on Neal, because he was certain Neal was a natural submissive when it came to men. Once they were clean and dressed, Tony pulled Neal into bed with him and started to kiss him gently. Tony wasn’t trying to arouse Neal, just comfort and assure him that Tony would always be there for him. Neal was Tony’s best friend; he loved Neal and would do anything for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. 2nd post of the day. The first chapter was edited and reposted. 
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Please read all the tags for this story. It will get much darker and it has elements of BDSM, but it is not a BDSM story. Please heed all chapter warnings before you read.

Tony had been right about the next night’s _entertainment_. The only good thing was the guy only wanted to pretend and didn’t want to fuck Tony. It turned our fine, because Tony had gotten a big tip from the guy and he was able to add it to their growing stash. Tony would have to count how much they had soon. He was waiting for Neal to come back from the room his guy took him to when Mitch, one of Adler’s minions, came over to him.

“Come on let’s go Tony.”

Tony blinked at him, “What about Neal?”

Mitch just gave Tony a feral smile, “His date wanted the whole night. I’ll come back for him as soon as I drop you off. You know how Adler doesn’t like you off the premises unless you are working.” Tony winced at that, the only way that they ever left was to work or if they bribed a minion and there were only a few that could be bought in that manner; Mitch wasn’t one of them. Tony knew better then to argue with him, the last time he did, Adler locked him up in his room with him for three days as punishment for questioning orders; he really did not want a repeat.

When Tony returned to Adler’s he handed over his money and headed to his room for the night. He quickly showered and climbed into bed. He pulled the money stash out of his shoe, it was getting too thick and he would have to figure out something else soon. He started to count it and found that between the two of them they had about six thousand dollars. That was a good start, but would not last forever, and since their scholarships only would only cover tuition, they would have to come up with the rest of the money. Tony needed to find a way to earn more money and fast if they wanted enough to survive. Tony drifted off to sleep after he secured their money stash.

He woke to find Neal cuddled up next to him; he pushed Neal’s hair out of his face and was happy to see that Neal did not look too stressed. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Once he finished he headed to the kitchen to find food. Adler had his cook always making something for the _workers_ to eat. Tony found Margie in the kitchen humming a tune and making her sweet rolls.

“Hey, Margie. Is there anything I could grab to eat?”

“Tony for you always. Here’s a plate.”

She handed him a plate full of eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast. Tony smiled at her; she tended to spoil the ones she thought needed more weight. Adler always ensured they kept in shape for his special clients. Tony thanked her and quickly got down to eating his food, once he was done eating he knew that he better check in with the minions to see what would be happening later in his day. Tony, unfortunately found Mitch as the minion for the day, he was hoping for Robbie.

“Good, you’re up. The boss said you and Neal have clients tonight, make sure you are ready by seven tonight.” Tony nodded to Mitch in acknowledgment. “Oh, and Tony they want all night for both of you,” Mitch gave Tony a nasty smirk. Tony just nodded and headed back to their room. On his way he stopped to get something for Neal to eat; he made it back to their room just as Neal was waking up. Tony noticed Neal looked completely relaxed.

Tony smiled at him, “Good night?”

“Mmmmm…yeah. I’m starving. Oh, here is my take from last night,” Neal grabbed the plate of food from Tony and pointed to the wad of cash on the bed. Tony’s eyes went a little wide at the pile.

“Damn, he must have been really happy. You gave Adler his money already?”

“Yeah, I hid the rest in my shoe like you do. I think he is going to ask for me again. He also mentioned a friend he wanted to bring next time. I didn’t get a chance to count it yet. How much?”

Tony started to count and was happy when he was done, “It’s another three hundred. Mitch told me that we both have all night clients this evening and to be ready by seven.”

“Alright, I should shower. Do we know what they want?”

“Not a clue, but since Mitch smirked at me it probably will be something neither of us want.”

Neal gave him a wry smile and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. 3rd post today 5/19.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Mentions of underage forced prostitution and sex.

They were both ready when Robbie came for them that night. Tony was happy that it was Robbie, because he was one of the _nice_ minions; he only ever wanted a blowjob from them for a favor. Tony gave him his shy smile and followed him towards the car that Adler kept for work. Neal seemed to be bouncing between glum and nervous; Tony grabbed his hand to calm him down. By the time they arrived at the hotel, Tony knew something was up with Neal. Tony was extremely grateful that it was Robbie with them tonight, because he trusted them to do their jobs and would not follow them up to the client’s rooms. He informed Tony of the room numbers and said to call if anything happened; he would return for them in the morning.

When Tony got Neal to the elevator, he pulled him close and asked, “Okay, what’s up Neal?”

Neal bit his lip, “Tony the guy last night said he wants to help us get out. Away from Adler, but he might want something for it. He says he’s an accountant, but I think there is something more going on. Just be careful if it’s his friend.”

“Neal, I’m always careful, but thanks for the heads up,” Tony said as he kissed Neal’s forehead. The rest of the ride was spent in silence; when they reached their floor, they headed to their client’s rooms. Tony smiled at Neal as he knocked on his door; Tony only caught a glimpse of the man as he pulled Neal into the room with him. The man looked fairly young, but harmless. Tony knocked on his door and was surprised to find a much shorter man then he was expecting. He gave the man his seductive smile and cautiously entered the room. When the man smiled back at Tony, became suspicious. Tony could pick a cop out in a crowd and his warning bells were going off right now.

“I think I have the wrong room,” Tony started to back up towards the door.

The man blinked and Tony could see the moment that he caught on, before Tony made it to the door the man was in Tony’s space.

“Look kid, I just want to talk.”

“Yeah sure and then arrest me for solicitation. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Okay, kid. I’m not going to arrest you. I’m after a much bigger fish; I want your boss. You help me and I’ll make sure that you don’t go to jail.”

Tony laughed at the man, “Look, I don’t care if you want to bring Adler down. I just want out and I want Neal out of this hell. If I help you, how do I know you won’t arrest us anyway?”

“My name is Special Agent Tobias Fornell, I’m with the FBI. I want Adler on human trafficking; I don’t want some down on his luck kid prostitute.”

Tony narrowed his eyes at Fornell, “I wasn’t down on my luck. I was sold to Adler; I tried to escape once I haven’t tried since. I do have a plan to get out of here, but I still need more money. If I help you what can you do for me?”

“Tell me your story and I’ll see what I can do.”

Tony sized the man up and decided he might just be trustworthy. Tony nodded and began to tell Fornell his story, by the time he was finished, Fornell looked a little green.

“You mean to tell me that you have been working for Adler since you were sixteen. Your own father sold you to Adler when you were underage. How old are you now, kid?”

“I’m eighteen. Can you help?” Tony asked emotionally wrung out.

“Yeah kid, I’ll help. First, I need you to tell me all that you know about Adler’s operations.”

Tony smiled at Fornell, “Okay, let’s get down to business.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. This is the 4th post for 5/19.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Conversations about forced sex, forced prostitution, forced spanking, and non-consensual S&M acts. Nothing is explicit in this chapter.

Over the next few weeks Tony and Fornell had a ‘date’ twice a week.  Fornell would request Tony’s ‘services’ and Adler was all too happy to comply.  Fornell had also convinced the FBI to pay Tony as an informant, so Tony was bringing in extra money for their living funds.  Tony had been able to give Fornell names and dates of people that went missing from Adler’s _employment_.  The only issue was that Tony did not have specific places as to where the people might have been sent.  He was willing to listen for the information for Fornell at Adler’s next big party at the house. 

“What party?” Fornell asked.

“Once a year Adler has this big party he throws for all his big and best clients.  If you get an invite you are in with him.  He makes all of us attend as _entertainment_ for his guests.”

“How many usually attend?”

“I think last year there were about thirty of them, including Adler.”  Tony rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke again, “There weren’t enough of us last year so I kind of got passed around.  The only one that is not _used_ is Neal.”

“Why?” Fornell asked.

“Because, Adler takes Neal for himself; Adler is a sadist, but he doesn’t care if you are a masochist.  He like to hurt people just for the fun of it.  Neal is usually _absent_ after he has a night with Adler, I’ve only spent three days with him once and that was enough for me.”

“What do you mean _absent_?” Fornell asked.

Tony gave Fornell a wry smile, “I have to make sure he eats, takes a shower, gets up and moves around.  He is just not there; he has this vacant look in his eyes for several days and he will follow orders without question.”

“When is this big party?”

“This weekend.  If you didn’t get an invite you won’t be able to get in.”

“I got an invite for it, I just wasn’t aware of what type of party it was.”

“Look,” Tony said, “You won’t have to have sex with anyone.  All you have to do is ask for blow jobs.  That is usually what most of them ask for.  I should warn you that the blow jobs are usually in public, if you want private you have go to a room and that will be bugged and Adler will expect sex, unless you are into spanking someone.”

Fornell’s eyes practically popped out of his head.  “Sp…spanking someone,” he stuttered. 

“Yeah, some of the clients just get off on that,” Tony shrugged.

“You want me to spank you?”

“Well, no I don’t; I hate getting spanked, but if you would prefer that over full on sex or a blow job it might be best.  To be honest, if you want in with Adler this might be your best way in.  You tie me to the bench and spank my ass then I give you either a blow job or a hand job while you make me sit on my very sore ass.  Adler love that type of stuff.”  Tony could see the confusion in Fornell’s face so he continued, “Look, it’s like this, Adler likes people who are like him.  He wants to surround himself with like minds and tastes.  If he thinks that you like to hurt me and get off on it that will work great for you.”

“Look, kid I just don’t think the FBI would be happy with me doing that with you.”

Tony just smiled at him, “Fornell, sometimes you do what you have to do.  Do you want to bring Adler down?  Do you want to stop him from adding more innocent people into sex slavery?  You want to find where he sends his _acquisitions_ , then you will have to get a bit dirty doing it.  I don’t like it, you don’t like it, but it is a fact.”

Fornell sighed, “Fine, I’ll talk to my bosses.  You will have to walk me through what to do before the party.”

Tony got right into Fornell’s personal space and looked down at him with his biggest smile, “I can do that.  Oh, and one more thing.  Do not bring your friend that is seeing Neal.  You need to pull him off this case, he is getting too wrapped up with Neal and I know that Neal is falling for him.  You do know that they are really having sex, right?”

“Fuck,” Fornell said.  “I can’t pull him.  If I do Adler could get suspicious.”

“Well, tell Adler that he had to go out of town on an emergency and make certain he is not at that party.  If he is he will probably freak when he sees Neal.  Fornell, here is what is going to happen; you will get in with Adler and probably figure out where he is selling his cast-off to.  I will take Neal, when this is done and get the hell out of Dodge; I plan on making our getaway clean and quiet.  All I need is the money to do it with,” Tony said as he leaned down, kissed Fornell gently before turning around and walked out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will admit that I'm very surprised at myself for writing this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to bobdog54 for helping beta this chapter. All remaining mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Please heed all tags in this story. I just want everyone to be aware that this is NOT a story about BDSM or about the pros or cons of BDSM.

The night of the party Tony was helping Neal get ready.  They showered together then Tony started to prepare Neal for Adler’s sick little _night of fun_.  Tony tried to do this as gently as he could, but it always bothered him when he had to do it.  He carefully slipped Neal in to Adler’s favorite Chastity device, it had a stainless steel cuff that wrapped around both the base of Neal’s cock and his balls; Neal’s cock was slipped into the metal tube that was attached in front of the cuff and the cuff secured similar to hand cuffs, this had the effect of squeezing his balls tight against his cock.  The tube would prevent him from getting hard as it offered a very tight fit.  Once Tony had attached and secured the device to Neal’s penis he preceded to prep him for the butt plug that he would have to wear; once Neal was loose enough, Tony coated the plug with a generous amount of lube and carefully pushed the plug into him; he was aware that it would rub Neal’s prostate every time he moved.  Then Tony inserted Neal’s nipple piercings with the weighted chain hanging from them; they would swing every time Neal moved causing the weights to pull on his nipples resulting in more pain.  The final piece Tony would add was one of Adler’s O-Ring gags, the type that would allow him to put whatever he could think of into Neal’s mouth without resistance.  Tony kissed Neal gently before and after he fitted him with the gag. He wanted Neal to go to the party knowing that Tony loved him.

Tony led Neal out of their room towards Adler’s; he was waiting for them when they arrived.  “Lovely work Tony,” Adler said, “Now go get yourself ready.  Your new _friend_ wants some time with you tonight; he mentioned something about spanking your ass.”  Tony just ducked his head as he return to their room; he did not want to leave Neal, but he had little choice.  When he made it to the relative safety of their room, he quickly shut the door, climbed onto their bed and screamed into his pillow.  He wished he could tear apart the room, throw things and smash things against the walls.  If it wouldn’t destroy their future, he would take a torch to this house and burn it to the ground with Adler and the rest of the _sick fucks_ in it.  He did not have time to keep his anger raging, so he began to ready himself for his night.

When Tony entered the Entertainment Area, he could see several familiar faces; he immediately zeroed in on Fornell.  He was grateful that Fornell had heeded his warning and assured Neal’s _friend_ wasn’t in attendance.  He then sought out Adler aware that Neal would be at his side; he found Neal kneeling on the floor at Adler’s feet.  The younger man’s arms were in cuffs attached to thigh cuffs, preventing him from moving his arms more than an inch.  His ankles were cuffed as well with a spreader bar attached and Adler had decided on the posture collar for tonight’s _festivities_. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Tony muttered under his breath.  He felt a hand slide down his back to his ass and squeeze.

“What’s wrong, Tony?” Fornell asked.

“Neal will be _played_ with in public,” Tony whispered.  Tony turned towards Fornell to keep him from showing any discomfort at Neal’s predicament.  “I heard you requested to ‘spank my ass.’  Would you like to leave now or after the _entertainment_ begins?”

“What’s the _entertainment_?” Fornell asked.

“Well, first Adler will massage Neal’s prostate and begin to _milk_ him.  He will probably force him to give him a blowjob while one of the minions is fucking him with the butt plug. Of course, this will be all after he has been milked so he will be overly sensitive.  Would you like to hear more?” Tony asked sarcastically.  Fornell just shook his head minutely as the color drained from his face; Tony figured Fornell was getting an education tonight. 

“Come on, let’s find a room,” Tony gave him a quick wry smile; Fornell silently followed him out of the room.

After Tony and Fornell left the room, Adler began to _play_ with Neal.  As Tony had predicted, Adler began to massage Neal’s prostate.  The chastity device prevented him from attaining an erection, but didn’t stop him from leaking.  Neal hated this, after a period of constant stimulation things started to hurt physically, especially being milked.  When Adler was finally done with his prostate, he moved on to inserting a dildo into Neal’s hole repeatedly.  The motion of the thrusts forced Neal to rock forward and caused the weighted chain attached to his nipple piercings to swing forward and back, tugging and pulling. Neal cried out in pain practically choking on the gag.  Neal had a clear view of the clock in the room it had been nearly thirty minutes of this torture.  Neal felt humiliated; with the posture collar on he could not lower his head and he had been warned not to close his eyes tonight. 

After an hour of Adler’s torture, Neal noticed the minions bringing in the bench.  He wanted to close his eyes because he was so very tired and he knew what was coming next, but he had been assured that he would be punished if he did, so they stayed open.  Once the bench was in place, Neal was moved to it and placed on his back.  He was strapped down with his legs spread wide to offer Adler access.  He removed the dildo that was still in Neal and replaced it with a vibrating one.  It was turned on and Neal was left like that while Adler made his rounds; Neal drifted off at that point.  His eyes were open and his body was present, but his mind was exploring art museums across the globe.  He travelled the world; Florence, Rome, Paris, Greece, New York, and London.  Neal have never been to any of those places, but he had read and found pictures of all them; he could escape and be safe from Adler’s abuse.      

Hours later, when Neal came back to himself, he felt Tony’s strong arms wrapped around him gently lifting him and carrying him to their room. He was always safe, as long as he was with Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone thinks I should add any other tags or warnings please let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to bobdog54 for reading this before I post it. She has been amazing and has help me to improve on this story.  
> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is always welcome.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Please, please read all tags before reading this story.

After Tony and Fornell’s performance was complete, they returned to the Entertainment Room; Tony planned on staying close to Fornell to ensure that he was able to deflect any potential problems; he was aware of Fornell’s discomfort with the situation.  When they entered the room Tony’s heart stuttered when he saw Neal strapped down to a bench with a vibrating dildo in his ass, the chain that had the weights to tug on Neal’s nipples had been altered and was now attached to the dildo.  He quickly moved his eyes to Neal’s face to find that although his eyes were open they were devoid of all emotion; Neal had retreated inward and would stay there until Tony could coax him back.

Tony was aware that there was little he could do for Neal right then; he would have to wait until the party ended before he could begin to take care of him.  Right now he had to focus on discovering any useful information for Fornell; with that in mind he turned and pulled a pale Fornell towards a group of Adler’s more talkative clients.  He whispered to Fornell as they approached the group how to behave with these men; he was praying that Fornell could pull this off.  When they reached the group Fornell found a seat and pulled Tony to sit astride his lap; Tony was wearing very tight leather pants, but he was shirtless.  Fornell began to play with Tony’s nipples by tugging on the rings that Adler insisted all his employees have; he began to moan at first, but yelped in pain when Fornell became a bit rough with his play. 

Fornell slapped his ass, “Behave, boy or I might have to take a paddle to that ass again.”

Tony wanted to glare at the FBI man, but refrained and played his part, “Yes, sir,” he whispered.  Fornell resumed playing with his nipples; Tony hissed in pain, but refrained from yelping anymore.  He listened to the conversations going on around him, taking in as much information as possible.  Fornell continued to play with Tony’s nipples alternating between pinching, tugging, and rolling, until a man that was watching spoke to Fornell, “I see you have him well in hand,” Tony identified the voice as belonging to a man he knew as Frank.  Fornell stopped playing with Tony’s nipples and pulled Tony closer to him as if trying to protect him from others, and the action appeared proprietary.

“Don’t think I need any help,” Fornell said with a low growl.

“Whoa, there buddy.  Not trying to encroach on your territory.  You thinking of buying him off of Adler?” Frank said as he took a step closer to the two men.

With Frank’s words Tony made the connection; Adler’s missing people must have been sold to some of his clients.  He knew that Fornell made the connection as well when the arm around his back tightened and pulled him even closer.

“Not sure if Adler is willing to sell, yet,” Fornell said playing along.

“For the right price he is always willing to sell.  Bought mine about a year ago.  Keep him in a cage most of the time.  Don’t let him out unless I want to play,” Tony could hear the extreme delight in Frank’s voice.  Tony’s face was buried in Fornell’s neck so he was unable to see his reaction to this, but he felt the arm around him tighten even further.  Frank and Fornell spoke for a bit longer, until Frank noticed the party’s attention shift to where Neal was tied to the bench.  Fornell loosened his grip around Tony whispering to him, “Sorry.”

“Hey, it’s fine.  What’s going on?” Tony whispered back.

Tony could feel Fornell flinch, “Adler is…I…think he is…”

“Going to fuck Neal,” Tony said flatly.

“Yeah, sorry,” Fornell said with sympathy. 

“Nothing you can do, and not your fault.  Loosen up a bit more so I can watch.”

“Why?  Tone, I don’t think you should watch,” Fornell hissed furiously.

“Toby, I have had more men’s dicks up my ass or down my throat than I can count, watching will not make me any more screwed up.  I need to see what is happening so that I can help Neal later,” Tony said quietly.

“Toby, really.  Alright kid, God I want to just grab you both and drag you out of here right now.”

“Well, you called me Tone; just thought I should reciprocate.  I know you want to rescue us, but right now you have a job to do and I have a friend to help later.”

“Alright kid, I…think that…”

“Just friends, Toby, just friends.”

“Yeah, friends.  When this is over with…you need anything ever, you contact me.  Got it Tone?” Fornell said.

“Promise Toby, promise,” with that Fornell let Tony move so he could see what was happening with Neal.

Several hours later, when the party had disbanded and Adler left for his own rooms Tony gently released Neal from his bindings and carefully carried him back to their room .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit that this story is something I never would have thought to write, but it stuck in my head and refused to leave until I wrote it down.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

When they returned to their room, Tony started the shower and pulled Neal into it with him.  He carefully washed and tended to Neal; he kissed Neal gently on the forehead as finish rinsing his hair.  Neal could barely stand on his own, so when Tony shut the water off he had Neal lean against the shower wall; he grabbed towels to wrap around both of them.  He maneuvered Neal into the bedroom and sat him down on the bed; he started to dry him off, but Neal had other ideas.  Neal pulled him on top of him, kissing him as he did.  Tony started to kiss back thinking Neal needed comfort, but then Neal spread his legs encouraging him to lie between them.  Neal wrapped his legs around Tony trying to bring him closer.

Tony push away from him, “Neal, what the hell?”

“Please, Tony I need you.  I need to feel someone else.  Please,” he begged in desperation.

Tony laid his forehead on his, “Baby, this isn’t what you need.  You need to be comforted and you need sleep.”

“Tony, this isn’t the first time he’s done this to me.  I just need you; I don’t remember much about what he did after the first thirty minutes.  Tony, I want to feel loved, for once,” Neal pleaded.

“Baby, I will always love you; I just think that having sex is a bad idea.”

“We have done it before, after he spent time with me,” Neal hesitantly said.

“And we shouldn’t have done it then either,” Tony said heatedly.

 “Fine,” Neal said as he shoved Tony off of him, “I’ll find someone else.  Maybe Michael will help, he has always been nice.”  Neal hoped that Tony would not want him to ask someone else; Michael was nice and he wasn’t one of the minion, but he wasn’t Tony.

Before he could get very far, Tony grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards him.  “No, don’t Neal…I just hate what Adler did to you.  I do not want to make it worse.”

“You won’t Tony,” Neal smiled at him; climbing on top of Tony, Neal straddled him rubbing their groins together.  It felt so good that both men moaned; Neal continued to rub Tony as he lowered himself to kiss him.  Tony opened up immediately to the kiss, allowing Neal to control it; they kissed until they needed air.  Tony rolled them over, placing himself on top of Neal and smiling down at him, he reached to the side drawer and fumbled for the lube he kept there.  Finding it he opened the cap and slicked his finger; he carefully rubbed his slickened finger around Neal’s entrance.  Neal began to moan at the sensation; Tony carefully started to insert his finger into Neal to stretch him, but because of all the activity that night Neal was already stretched.  Tony decided to try three fingers just to make certain that he did not hurt him.  By the time that Tony was comfortable that he had stretched him enough Neal was babbling incoherently.  Tony slicked himself up and gently pushed himself into Neal; he was so loose from the earlier activities that Tony found no resistance.

“Love you, Baby,” Tony whispered as he began to move. 

“Tony…please…more,” Neal babbled.

He continued to thrust in and out on Neal, enjoying the feeling and heat of Neal’s body.  Leaning over him to reach his mouth he began to kiss him thrusting in and out of his mouth with his tongue, mirroring the motion of his dick in Neal.  Tony enjoyed swallowing Neal’s moans of pleasure with each trust.

He pulled back enough to whisper to Neal, “That’s it baby, just let go and feel.  It’s just you and me.  Tony and Neal, always.”

Tony felt Neal’s cum spurt between them, Neal’s muscles tightening around him pushed Tony over the edge.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Two days after the party, they awoke to their door locked.  When minion Mitch unlocked it to bring food to them, Tony asked, “Why is our door locked?”  It had never been locked before, so this change was unusual and frightening.  He was afraid that something had happened in the night to cause the change; now they would be even more controlled. 

Mitch gave them an evil smile, “New policy, you’ll be allowed out separately for an hour a day into the garden.  Other than your regular exams and dates, you will be spending most of your time in this room.  Now eat, you both have dates tonight; you better be ready by seven.”

After Mitch closed and relocked the door, Tony tuned to Neal, he could see the fear in his eyes.  He pulled him close to comfort him, hugging him tight, “It’ll be fine.  I will figure this out.”

The two young men spent the rest of the day, eating and comforting each other.  When it was time to get ready for the night, Tony pulled Neal after him towards the bathroom.  They showered together; not knowing what the night held they prepped each other using generous amounts of lube and stretching as much as they could.  They had just finished dressing when the click of the lock disengaging could be heard; they turned to find Richie poking his head into the room, he motioned for them to follow him out of the room.  

The ride from Adler’s property to the hotel was done in silence; Tony was grateful that they were going to a hotel and not a private residence.  Private residences usually would be harder to escape from; Tony had a feeling that tonight might be when they ran. 

Tony was surprised when the door to the hotel room opened and he saw Fornell behind it; Tony instantly knew that something had happened by the look on Fornell’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

Fornell sighed, “My boss decided that we needed to move on some of Adler’s clients.  I was against it, but I was overruled; they raided a half dozen people last night.  I wanted to do a simultaneous raid on all of them, but they felt we could retrieve more information this way and they hoped to get some of them to turn on Adler.”

Tony narrowed his eye at Fornell, “Toby, what happened?”

“We arrested all of the ones we raided, but we think that the others, including Adler, got wind of it.  We did recuse several young men and women that were being held by those we arrested.”

Tony sighed as he sat on the bed in the room, “That would explain our locked door this morning.  We cannot go back to that house, Toby.  If we go back he’s going to run and take us with him, I know it.”

“Look, Tone…I shouldn’t do this, but I’m not going to let you go back there.  I have two go bags for you, I also have an account that has plenty of money in it that will help you two, to get a new life started.  I’m the only one that knows about Ohio, so going there will be fine.  Before you ask, our conversations have not been recorded.”

Tony began to protest, “Toby, if you get caught, you’ll go to jail.  I don’t want that to happen.”

Fornell sat next to Tony, “I won’t go to jail over this.  Look, when I was looking into his finances, I came across several other accounts that he apparently set-up under other people’s names.  It was an attempt to hide as much of his money as possible; this account was in your name, it has enough money in it to get you and Neal out of here and set up a comfortable life in Ohio.  Go to school Tone, have a good life and make something of yourselves.”

“And don’t ask too many questions, right,” Tony said with a small smile.

“Yeah, too many questions, bad idea.  Tone, Adler will not be able to access the account, so you will be good to go.  Luckily the bank is nationwide so you won’t have any problems finding a branch elsewhere.  Get out of the area tonight; tomorrow get to a bank, pull the money out and put it into the account I set-up for your FBI payments, when you get to Ohio take the money out of it and put it into an account you set up with no connection to the FBI or Adler, understand?  You have ID and cash for tonight, I put cloths that you and Neal can wear until you can buy more.”

Tony blinked away tears as he said, “Yeah, Toby I get it.  As few possible ways to trace us, right?”

“Yeah, Tone,” Fornell said as he wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulder giving him a quick squeeze.  Fornell rose from the bed, pulling Tony with him, “Come on, I’ll make some kind of scene and you can slip out of here.”

Tony pulled Fornell towards him, “Thanks, Toby,” he said as he leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips.  Tony followed Fornell out of the room and towards the room Neal was in.  Fornell knocked on the door, a man in his late twenties opened the door with a bathrobe on.  They spoke in hushed tones and Fornell disappeared into the room, Tony waited for them to return.  When the door opened again Neal was with Fornell. 

“Tony, what’s going on?”

Tony approached Neal, “We’re leaving.  I need you to just follow my lead and not ask questions until we get to safety.  Can you do that for me?”

Neal looked at Tony and nodded, “Yes, but I want answers when we get wherever we’re going.”

“Promise,” Tony replied.

As Tony and Neal made it to the front entrance of the hotel, they could hear Fornell complain to the concierge about seeing cockroaches in his room; Tony figured Fornell’s room charges would be reversed before he left that night. 

They existed the front entrance of the hotel, looking both directions to ensure that Robbie wasn’t nearby.  Tony had entwined his fingers with Neal’s to keep them together; they each had a bag slung over their shoulders as they walked quickly towards the nearby bus stop.  Tony intended to get them to the train station as soon as he could; however, if they had to wait too long for the bus they would just have to start walking the mile to Union Station.  He was grateful that the FBI had chosen a hotel near Union Station.  They were just approaching the bus stop when he heard their names called, Tony began to run pulling Neal behind him.  He needed to get them some place safe and ditch their purser.  He did not want to be tracked to Ohio; they had just rounded a corner when a car pulled up.  Tony pushed Neal behind him in an attempt to protect his friend, telling him to run as soon as Tony signaled, but it wasn’t necessary; Fornell opened the car door and gave them a big smile. 

“Toby?”

“It’s alright Tone.  Come on I’ll drop you at the station.  Your purser was being ticketed by Metro for double parking.”

Tony smiled and pulled Neal into the car with him; the trip to Union Station was fairly short after that.  As they drove Tony explained as much as he could to Neal about the plan. 

“Tony, are you sure about this?”

“Neal, if we don’t take this opportunity now, we won’t get it again.  Adler is locking us up in our room now; I think that he probably plans on running and taking us with him.  I’m not letting him do that, alright.  We will have a good life, together.”

Neal gave Tony a small smile and nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. Second post for today 5/24

Tony and Neal had been in Columbus, Ohio for nearly two months; their escape from D.C. and Adler seemed to have gone unnoticed.  Tony had done what Fornell suggested with the money and now they had a nice nest egg in an account; they planned to both get part-time jobs to help with expenses so that they only had to use some of the money for living.  They were living in a motel room until they could find an apartment; while Tony hunted for a job, Neal combed the rental adds.

Tony was exhausted when he made it back to the motel after a day of job searching; he had been offered a job as a busboy at a local diner, it wasn’t the best job, but it would help pay the bills and they were willing to work around his school schedule and work him extra hours during breaks.  When he entered the motel room Neal practically pounce on him, giving him a very enthusiastic kiss.    

“What was that for?  I haven’t even told you my good news,” Tony said smiling at Neal.

“I found us an apartment, it’s perfect.  It has three bedrooms, a nice kitchen, one bathroom, it’s in a decent neighborhood, and it’s in our price range.”

Tony went over to the bed pulling Neal behind him; he sat on the bed and brought Neal to sit on his lap. 

“Neal, why do we need three bedrooms?  I thought we would share a room and you could still have a room for your art studio.  Two bedrooms would be plenty.”

“Um, well we will kind of need three in, oh say, um…six in a half months, give or take.”

Tony narrowed his eyes and turned Neal so he was straddling him, “Neal, I thought you were on birth control.  Did it fail?”

Neal ducked his head, hiding his face from Tony, “Adler stopped letting them give me the pills for two month before the night of the party.”

“Fuck, Neal why didn’t you say something to me?”

Neal looked up at Tony with tears forming in his eyes and nearly chocking on his words, “What would you have done?  What could you have done?”

Tony sighed, he wiped away the newly formed tears from Neal, “That’s why you were so desperate after the party for me to have sex with you.”  Neal just nodded his head, burying his face in Tony’s neck.

“Neal, you know the baby could be…”

“No,” Neal shouted, “It’s our baby Tony.  Yours and mine, not his.  Please Tony, it can’t be his,” he said in desperation.

Tony gave Neal an understanding look, “Yeah, baby it’s ours.  Promise.  Well, it’s a good thing I found a job today,” Tony said as he rocked Neal, trying to comfort him.  They were quiet for a time, as Neal silently shed his tears in Tony’s neck.

When he figured that Neal had cried all this tears for now, Tony shifted positions so they were laying on the bed facing each other.  Tony gently wiped away the remaining tears on Neal’s face and leaned closer so he could kiss him; they were gentle kisses, more for reassurance than arousal.  He kissed Neal for a long time until he finally felt him relax. 

“We are getting married, Neal.”

Neal looked at Tony with wide eyes, but didn’t respond. 

Tony chuckled, “Neal, did you think that I would let you have this baby…our baby and not marry you?  I’m not letting my kid come into the world like that, got it.  I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you,” Tony moved his hand down to Neal’s belly and caressed it, “and our baby.”

Neal’s eyes lost that terrified look, as he too placed his hand over his belly on top of Tony’s.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

The weeks following Neal’s announcement were hectic for the two young men.  After Neal showed Tony the apartment he found, Tony had agreed that it was the best out of their somewhat limited options.  As they did not have furniture and the apartment was unfurnished, they decided to comb the second hand stores for their needs; however, Tony refused to purchase a bed frame second hand or anything for the baby. 

The money that Fornell ensure Tony took, was enough for them to live off of for the rest of their lives, but Tony did not want that.  He wanted to make something of himself and he wanted Neal to exceed his expectations of himself.  Tony refused to become dependent on money; he knew from personal experience that money did not buy you the happiness you sought.  He had seen what money dependence could do to a person, his father was a perfect example of it.  He did not want Neal to become dependent on it either, so he had told him the funds were limited, but enough to get them through school and some for after even with a baby.

After Tony discovered that Neal was pregnant, he did not want him working; he was concerned that the pregnancy along with school would be more than enough for Neal to deal with.  The week that they moved into their new apartment, Tony started his new job.  Two weeks after that, school started and found them scrambling to keep up with everything.  Things were hectic at first, but once the two men found a good rhythm between school, work, and home life things settled down. 

They had gone to a Justice of the Peace to be married a month after Neal told Tony about the baby.  Tony realized it wasn’t the most romantic of weddings, but neither had any family or friend they could invite.  They figured that they would make friends as school continued, but for now they were content with each other.  Neither one wanted too many questions about their pasts, so they became good at deflecting questions about themselves.

Tony had originally thought he would try out for one of the sports teams, but with Neal pregnant he did not want to be away from home; joining a team would require him to travel, possibly out of state.  Tony decided to focus on academics and double major in physical education and psychology.  Since a career in spots was not possible, he decided that he wanted to help put people like Adler away in prison.  Tony had looked into a career as a police officer or lawyer, but he found that law enforcement appealed to him more.  He found that he could apply to the academy, but not until he was twenty-one, giving him time to focus on getting through school and taking care of his family.

Neal was majoring in Art, but with the baby on the way he would only make it through the fall term.  Neal had spoken with the registrar and figured that he could resume school the following fall after the baby was born.  Neal had been making plans for the baby and its room; Tony was just happy to see Neal smile and laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super happy with this chapter, I think Tony comes off just a bit controlling and that was not my intent.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Things were good for Tony and Neal over the next few months; Neal’s pregnancy progressed well and Tony was happy to see that Neal’s nightmares that had begun shortly after their escape had lessened. Neal only awoke once or twice a month crying, when he did wake, Tony would just hold him until the tremors and sobs stopped. Tony’s own nightmares were less frequent as well, but he never let Neal know he had them; he had always been good at compartmentalize his life, so he took his memories and locked them in a box and forgot where he placed the key.

Neal was seven months pregnant when Tony returned to their apartment after work one day to find him pacing the living room like a caged tiger. He had a piece of paper crumpled in his hand, concerned Tony stopped Neal’s pacing.

“Neal, what’s wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?”

Neal looked at Tony like he just realized he was in the room; he shoved the paper that was in his hand into Tony’s chest. Not sure what to expect, Tony carefully took the paper and smoothed it out; he began to read the letter and burst into laughter.

“Why are you laughing? It is not funny, Tony,” Neal said through clenched teeth.

Tony looked at Neal and realized that he had better take Neal’s emotions into account. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly, “I’m guessing you object to being called ‘an expectant mother’.”

“Yes, I object. I’m still a man, even if I’m a carrier.”

“Neal, I get that and trust me I know that you are a man. This is just a form letter they send to all registered…pregnant…um…people. I don’t think it was meant in any other way. Look, it’s just informing us of all the different parenting and birthing classes we can take. It might be a good idea for both of us; I really don’t know much about babies and neither of us have anyone we can really ask.”

“I just don’t like people assuming I’m going to be called ‘mom,’ and yes you are right about the classes, I already signed us up for some of them.”

Tony pulled Neal to sit on the couch with him, “Neal, if you don’t want to be called ‘mom’ we can figure something else out.”

“I don’t mind being called ‘mom,’ I just don’t want people to assume I want to be called that,” Neal pouted.

Tony asked, “So what do you want the baby to call you?”

“Mom or mommy, I really don’t care,” Neal said happily.

Tony just nodded; recently Neal’s emotional state would change by the minute. He could never predict what would send Neal into a crying jag, a tirade, or bubbly mode, as Tony like to affectionately call it in his head. Tony wasn’t certain if Neal’s mood swings were all related to the pregnancy or if some of them were part of their treatment at Adler’s hands.

Neither wished to discuss their time with Adler; Tony had spent two years as a prostitute for him. It had been worse for Neal, as he had been fourteen when he fell into Adler’s hands. Tony was certain that Neal had deep emotional scars that would rear their ugly heads one day; he hoped that he was up to dealing with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say that I personally don't think Tony and Neal are exactly the picture of mental health in this story; unfortunately I don't see either of them seeking out professional help. Part of Neal's emotional state is the pregnancy, because what pregnant woman did not cry at some stupid Snuggle commercial or Hallmark or some other such thing. However, I believe that a good part of Neal's quick emotional changes have a great deal to do with his time in Adler's hands.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. I have spent the last three days editing and re-writing this chapter and re-editing this chapter. If I don't post it now, I probably never will.

Tony looked down at the small bundle in his arms and smiled, big and wide, he turned that smile on his husband who was lying in the hospital bed napping. He wanted to hand the baby, no their son, off to him and curl around them, but he did not want to disturb the exhausted man. There were so many thought and emotions flying around him he didn’t know where to begin sorting them out.

He moved to the rocking chair the hospital had in the room; he sat down and began to gently rock the small boy. He looked down on him and could see a bit of blondish-brown hair sticking up on his head. Tony never thought he could love someone as much as he did their son, but he was head over heels in love with the boy; they really needed to figure out a name for him and soon. He rocked him, whispering all the things they would do together, all the things he would teach him, and the promise to give him the childhood that his parents never got. Tony had a revelation when Neal was in labor, he was completely in love with him. He had always thought of Neal as his best friend and he cared and loved him like a friend, but when Neal lay on the bed in so much pain, it hit him, it wasn’t just love for a friend, it was deeper and more profound.

He held tight to his son as he rocked him gently; he thought of all the things he wished had been different in their lives. He wanted to tell Neal that he would always love him, he would never leave him; he would protect him from harm. He wanted to tell him that their live together would be enough, but he knew it never would be, not for Neal anyway. Tony opened his eyes to see Neal’s blue eyes staring at him; he gave him a small smile and rose from the chair as he walked over to the bed. He handed the baby to him and encouraged him to scoot over on his side; he climbed onto the bed behind Neal and wrapped the two people he love most in the world in a protective embrace.

“What are we going to name him?” Tony asked.

“I was thinking Joshua Bryan,” Neal replied.

Tony smiled, “Better than another Anthony DiNozzo. I like it, Joshua Bryan DiNozzo.”

“Or another Neal.”

“Thank you for giving me him, Neal. I…I love you, so damn much,” Tony buried his face in Neal’s neck as he said it.

“I know, Tony; I know.”

Neal was held in Tony’s comforting embrace, having never felt so safe and protected as he did with him. He could hear Tony’s light snores as he held him; Neal looked in wonder at the baby in his arms. Their son, because there was no way in hell that Neal could accept anyone else as Josh’s father. He smiled to himself when he felt Tony tighten his grip on them; he knew that Tony had fallen in love with him, but Neal wasn’t sure what he felt for Tony, other than a profound, deep, and abiding affection towards him. He hoped that it would be enough to build a life on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt this was a very bittersweet chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> ****Warning****  
> Mentions of depression, possibly post-partum related.

Tony walked into their apartment to find a screaming baby and a crying Neal. He immediately was on alert; over the weeks since their son was born, Tony noticed that Neal was withdrawing more and more from him and Josh. He looked around the room and found Neal on the couch sobbing into a pillow, he  quickly looked for the baby and found him in his playpen. He was torn, he wanted to go and comfort the man he loved, but his paternal instincts kicked in and he moved over to attend to Josh’s needs.

He picked the baby up and started to pace the room with him, trying to calm him down. Once he got him to only hiccupping sobs, he quickly changed his dipper and found a bottle to feed him. After he had him feed and asleep he place him in his crib, turned on the baby monitor and shut the door. He returned to the living room to find Neal now hiccupping between sobs into the pillow. He would have laughed, but he knew that it was a serious problem. He knelt by the couch and started to gently run his hand down Neal’s head to his back, whispering nonsense to him. When Neal finally looked at him, his face was a mess of red splotches. Tony carefully maneuvered Neal up and into their bedroom; he got him on the bed and climbed in behind him, holding him tight.

“Want to talk about it?” Neal just shook his head and moved back into Tony’s embrace.  He sighed, it was clear that Neal needed to discuss what was going on, but either he didn’t want to or he was unable to. Tony thought that maybe a new tactic would be needed to get Neal to open up to him.

“I know this is hard, baby. I wish you would tell me what is going on in your head. I can’t help if you won’t talk to me. How about I ask questions and you answer them?” Neal was quiet for a time, shaking his head before he began to speak.

“He…he hates me. He never stops crying, unless you are holding him. I don’t have any energy; I’ll I want to do is sleep, Tony. I hate this. I never leave the apartment unless it is for doctor’s appointments. I can’t even do any of my art work.”

Tony sighed, he knew that Neal felt trapped by the baby, but he didn’t know about the lack of energy. Tony was concerned about depression, but he was aware of Neal’s resistance to therapy; hell Tony was resistant to therapy. He thought that maybe if he could give Neal some time away from the baby, perhaps he would start to relax some. Tony had been thinking about how he was either, working or at school, but never getting to spend much time with Neal or Josh, “Neal, would it help if I quit my job to spend more time home with the two of you?” Neal nodded his head.

Tony decided to take his offer a step further, “How about when I’m home, you spend time either sleeping or working on your art. I’ll take care of the baby and help keep the apartment clean. I’ll even help with the laundry.”

Neal turned in his arms snuggling into Tony’s chest. “I hate laundry.”

“I know, that’s why I offered to help. Neal, I still think there is more going on with you and for the record, Josh does not hate you. He cries more with you, because he can feel your tension. I love you Neal, please don’t hide from me. You never let me get close to you anymore.”

He stiffened in Tony’s arms, “I…just sometimes need space, Tony.”

Tony narrowed his eyes at Neal’s response, “Neal, do you think I was trying to force myself on you?” Neal stiffened further, giving Tony his answer.

“Fuck,” he swore, he made Neal look him in the face before he continued,” Neal, I would never, ever do that to you. If you never want to have sex with me again, I’ll survive, but please don’t pull away from me. Why did you think I wanted that from you? Have I given any indications towards it?”

Neal bit his lip, “Tony you are in love with me, I just figured that sex kind of went along with that and I have…”

“Neal, I know that you love me, just not the same way I love you. I just want to take care of you, hold and comfort you. I know that you may never love me the same; all I want from you is to be honest with me, if…if you find someone else and fall in love…just tell me, don’t keep it a secret, please,” Tony said sadly.

“Tony,” Neal looked at him with sadness in his eyes, “I wish that I could just…” Neal took a deep breath, “I promise, I won’t lie to you about it.”

Tony gave him any unhappy smile, “Get some sleep, love.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Things changed for the little family over the next few years; both men graduating, keeping up with a toddler, and moving to Peoria, Illinois so Tony could start his law enforcement career. Unfortunately, there were really no universities that offered a program for Neal to continue with school and fewer art galleries for him to either work at or show his work.  

Their next door neighbor was an older woman who just adored Josh, so Mrs. Williams would watch him when Neal and Tony both were busy; Neal had been looking for a job, but there were not an abundance of art museums in Peoria that were hiring. Tony knew that Neal was frustrated and becoming depressed, so Tony decided to apply for a job with the Philadelphia Police Department. He had just received the notification that he had been accepted, but it wasn’t all great news; he had been accepted into vice. He was hopeful that it was just drug enforcement and not prostitution, he really did not want to return to that life, even if it was just pretend. Tony did not mind arresting the men who frequented prostitutes, he just did not want to be the decoy.

Tony returned home one night to find Neal and Josh giggling. He smiled at them; he loved Neal more and more each day, it broke his heart that he did not return his affections. After Neal’s meltdown shortly after Josh was born, Tony’s offer to help more improved Neal’s emotional state, as did his return to school and a small social life. They never did return to their discussion about sex; it wasn’t that they didn’t have sex, it was just only when Neal initiated it. Tony tried not to make him feel bad about not loving him the same, he just cherished the time he and Neal spent together.

Unfortunately, with Neal unable to find work or an outlet for his art skills, he had become depressed and sullen again. Tony also noticed a loss of weight that had him concerned, as Neal has so little extra weight to lose. He was drawn from his musings by as squealed, “Daddy,” and a forty-five pound boy crashing into his legs. Tony scooped him up into his arms and gave him a kiss on his forehead; he walked over to Neal and gave him a quick kiss, too. Neal gave him a small smile and ruffled Josh’s hair on his way to the kitchen.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” Neal said.

“Great, did you find a job today?” Tony asked Neal.

He shook his head, “No, I didn’t. They don’t have any openings in any of the art galleries or museums here right now.”

“Uh…I have news,” Tony said tentatively, hopeful that his news would be received well.

“What?” Neal’s head shot up at that.

“I…uh…got a job offer, but it’s…um in another state,” Tony bit his lip waiting for Neal’s reply.

“Where is this job, Tony?”

“In Philly.”

“Philadelphia?”

“Yeah, look Neal, I know that it’s not New York or Paris, but we can go and take trips into New York and visit all the museums,” Tony replied.

Neal just smiled big and wide at Tony, “We’re moving to Philadelphia? Will I be able to return to school? I would love to get my Masters or maybe get some of my work in a showing at an art gallery.”

Tony was surprised by Neal’s excitement; he walked over to him and wrapped an arm around him, “What every you want, Neal.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

After the move to Philly, Neal’s depression improved; he was eating and sleeping better. Josh had been enrolled in school and this gave Neal more time to work on his art; he was trying to put together some pieces for a small art gallery showing. He had been working on the project with one of the art gallery employees, Kate Moreau, when Tony came home from work. Tony walked up behind Neal to give him a hug, but he pulled away just before Tony reached him.

“Oh, hey, you’re home early.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at Neal’s behavior, but let it drop, “Yeah, where’s Josh?”

“With his friend across the hall. He wanted to play with him and I was working with Kate on my work trying to decide what to put in the show,” Neal explained.

“Oh, well how about I go get him and I take you two out to dinner?”

“Um…well Kate and I have some more work to do, but if you and Josh want to go get something that fine.”

Tony looked at his watch, realizing that it was still early, “We could wait. I can take a shower and maybe by the time I’m done you’ll be ready to go.”

Neal nodded distractedly already having turned around to continue his work with Kate. Tony gave a frustrated sigh and headed towards the bedroom to shower. He knew that this show was important to Neal and he was happy that he had found a gallery to show some of his work, but Tony was not happy with Neal’s new friend Kate. He had a bad feeling about her, but he could not put his finger on it yet. He had been thinking of running a background check on her to make certain that she was not a threat to Neal, but he knew that would piss Neal off if he ever found out.

Tony stripped off his cloths tossing them into the hamper, he began the water and waited for it to reach the appropriate temperature; stepping into the shower he started to wash still mulling over his Kate dilemma. He was aware that if it turned out she was what she said, he would be in the dog house with Neal. Although, he felt that he was already in the dog house with him; every time Tony initiated so much as a hug Neal pulled away. The only time Neal let Tony close was when a nightmare woke him up. Neal would allow Tony to comfort him, but by the next day it was back to the cold shoulder. He still wasn’t sure what he had done to receive this type of treatment from his husband and he couldn’t get him to discuss it; every time he tired Neal told him he was imagining things. It pained Tony, but in the year since they had moved to Philly, they had only made love once. It had been the first night in the new apartment, Tony had thought it was wonderful, but as soon as he could Neal had pulled away and left to shower. Tony had tried to follow, but found the bathroom door locked.

Tony had not resolved his dilemma by the time he was getting dressed; he left the bedroom to find Neal’s studio room door closed. Internally he sighed deciding to just take Josh out for dinner and trying to catch up with Neal after their son went to bed. He went across the hall to fetch his son, not surprised to have him shout, “Daddy,” and throw himself at him. Tony scooped him up, giving him a kiss on the forehead and thanking his neighbor for letting Josh spent time with his friend.

“Want to get some dinner with me, buddy?” Tony asked. Josh gave him a big smile; his blue eyes shone with happiness and he nodded his head.

“What about Mommy?” Josh asked.

Tony tried to keep his smile up for his son, but it was difficult, “He’s working on his project, so it’s just the two of us tonight. If you want, we can bring something back for him.” Josh nodded his head vigorously.

By the time the two returned home, Tony was carrying a very tired Josh and a bag of take out for Neal. He opened the door to his apartment and found Neal sitting on the couch with his sketch pad in his lap, biting his lip; he appeared to be deep in thought.

“Hey,” Tony said.

Neal looked up at him giving him a nod of acknowledgment, returning to his pad. Tony placed the food bag on the coffee table in front of Neal and took Josh into his room. He placed the boy down in his bed and carefully removed his shoes and jacket; covering his son up he kissed him goodnight and left the room closing the door. He returned to the living room to find Neal digging into his food.

“Are we going to talk about what’s going on?” Tony asked.

Neal looked up at Tony with his mouth just closing around the fork, his eyes looked at him with a curious expressing. Neal finished chewing and swallowed, clearing his throat before speaking, “Well, Kate said that with the paintings that I have picked out, I might just sell some of my works at the showing.”

“No, Neal, I meant are we going to talk about what is going on between us,” Tony said with heat in his voice.

“Oh,” Neal said as he rose from his seat and walked over to Tony; hugging him, “I’m just a little distracted right now. I promise once this show is done, I’ll make time for you,” he kissed Tony sweetly.

Tony kissed him back, hoping to take it further, he pulled Neal flush with his body wrapping his arms around him, but Neal slipped out of his hold and returned to the couch. Tony gave a small groaned of disappointment; he moved towards the couch and gave Neal a kiss on the top of his head.

“I’m going to bed, I’ll see you later,” he said as he headed towards their bedroom, his only reply was a dismissive wave.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. Second posted chapter for 5/28.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Just so everyone knows, what might seem as hinting at infidelity, is not.

Tony was proud of Neal, he was making a name for himself in the art world. His first show, almost a year ago had led to several more at the same gallery. Neal had even sold several of his works to some very prominent people in the art world. Tonight was Neal’s opening at a new gallery; he would be the only artist whose work was being shown. Tony was aware that his husband was nervous about the show. Neal had to be at the gallery early to ensure that everything was set for that evening. Tony and Josh would follow him; Tony was just finishing getting Josh into his suit that Neal had insisted the boy have for the opening. Tony thought the suit was overkill, but had relented because it had made Neal happy.

They arrived at the gallery just before the doors were to open; they found Neal doing a final check of everything. It had been explained to Josh that he needed to be quiet and polite for the night, so he didn’t do his usually yelling and slamming into parents trick. He held Tony’s hand as they approached Neal and Kate patiently waiting for him to acknowledge them. When Neal finally turned around he smiled at them, accepting a quick kiss from Tony and a hug from Josh. Neal; however, quickly returned to his discussion with Kate. Tony gave an internal sigh; smiling at his son, he gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

The night did not improve; Neal had Kate at his side the entire evening. Josh became upset when people started to question Neal and Kate about when they had gotten married, at that point he took it upon himself to pull his father towards his mother and insist on holding both of their hands. The comments stopped after that, much to Josh’s satisfaction and Kate’s ire.

Tony did not like or trust Kate; he was certain that she was at the very least after his husband. Tony didn’t think Neal was cheating on him, but he did notice that Neal was even less affectionate towards him since Kate had moved from just being an assistant at a gallery, to being Neal’s manager. As soon as Neal had announced that he asked Kate to be his manager, Tony began a background check on the woman; he was still awaiting the final report, but when he got it he was going to confront Neal. The night ended with Tony carrying a sleepy Josh to his car and heading home without Neal. Tony knew that Neal would have a few more hours at the gallery before he would return home, so Tony gave him a goodbye kiss and scooped their son up into his arms, leaving Neal with his new friends.

Things came to a head a few weeks after Neal’s gallery showing. Tony had been on an undercover assignment for the past two weeks when he returned home to find Kate on their couch having a heated discussion with Neal. Tony approached them giving Neal a quick kiss, “Where’s Josh?”

“Across the hall, he wanted to spend the night.”

Tony nodded his head and went to get something to drink and calm down before he snapped at Neal. He needed to be calm and collected when they had the conversation that had been brewing for over a year. Tony was also trying not to allow his frustrations at work come home with him. His undercover job had become a cluster fuck. His team had left him without back-up and when they finally showed, his cover had been blown. He took deep calming breaths and returned to the living room to find Kate glaring at him.

“Get out,” he said calmly; he raised an eyebrow in her direction when she made no effort to move. He knew instantly she was challenging him when she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Neal and I are not done talking,” was her haughty reply.

Tony narrowed his eyes and stalked towards the woman, leaning into her personal space, he gave her a feral smile, “I don’t care if you aren’t done talking to MY husband, you will get the fuck out of our apartment on your own or I will personally throw you out.”

She wisely decided that retreat was her best option; as soon as she was gone Tony turned to Neal and could see the anger in his eyes.

“What the hell was that about, Tony?”

“That…that was about me finally making you have a discussion about us.”

“What do we need to discuss about us, Tony?”

Tony rolled his eyes at Neal’s obvious obtuseness, “Neal, we haven’t spent any time together in almost two years. There is a great deal to discuss about us.”

“Well, you could have been nicer to Kate. She really has been a big help getting my art career off the ground.”

“I don’t give a fuck about Kate, Neal. She’s been a great help to you because she thinks she will get something from you. She’s a con artist, Neal. She has been arrested before, unfortunately none of the charges would stick. You need to find a different manager, she just wants to use you,” Tony’s voice has risen as he was talking; he realized he needed to calm down, softening his voice he approached Neal, “Baby, I just don’t want you to get hurt. I love you, Neal.”

Neal backed away from Tony, putting his hands up as if to ward him off, “You fucking checked my friend out, without telling me.”

As much as Tony wanted to wrap his arms around his husband he refrained, “Yes, Neal, I checked her out. She is spending time with you and Josh, I wanted to make certain she was not a threat to you. I love you, Neal and I promised to take care and protect you.”

“I don’t need your care or protection, Tony. Kate already told me about her past life; she has changed and would never hurt me or Josh. You’re just jealous that I found someone I can relate to that isn’t you,” Neal practically shouted at Tony.

It hit Tony all at once, he finally saw everything as clearly as if the heavens had opened up after a torrential down pour and the sun shone a spotlight on everything he had been missing over the last few years. Neal was not going to ever fall in love with him; he would never return his love. Tony sat down wanting to cry, but refusing to show how much Neal had hurt him.

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you,” it was a statement, not a question.

Neal looked at him with wide eyes, but didn’t deny it. Tony bit his lip before he spoke again, “Neal, I will always love you, but if you really want to go, I’ll let you. There are somethings we need to discuss first though. I don’t want to fight with you, I have never wanted to fight with you.”

Neal nodded and sat next to Tony on the couch, “Tony, I do love you; I just don’t think I can ever love you enough to make this work. I’m so sorry.”

“I know Neal, I know,” Tony said as he gently kissed Neal on the forehead.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> I have added an OOC tag for Neal as several people pointed out he is out of character from the series.
> 
> I want to thank everyone who had provided feedback for this story, it has help to keep it moving along.

The next few weeks were hell for Tony and Neal. Neal had decided he wanted to move to New York to pursue his art career more seriously; at his last show as lovely woman named June Ellington had approached Neal with an offer to use her husband’s old studio at her house in New York City. After the two men had decided to officially separate, Neal mentioned June’s offer. Tony had insisted on meeting June and running a background check on her, before he would allow Neal and Josh to go there. Neal had resisted at first, until Tony threated to fight to keep Josh with him. Tony did not want to play hardball with Neal, but he would if it was to protect his son. If Neal didn’t want Tony’s protection, he would back off, but Josh would always be Tony’s responsibility and he would never relinquish it.

Of course, Tony’s worry over June was unfounded; she was a charming woman who had charmed Josh and Tony with one meeting. Tony took it upon himself to meet with June on his own to discuss Neal and Kate. He was extremely happy to be reassured that June was just as suspicious of Kate as Tony was. Tony was trying to decide if he should tell June their entire story, when she smiled at him and he realized that he needed someone else to know Neal’s past.

“June, I need to tell you something, but I also need you to promise that you will never let Neal know I gave this information to you,” he waited for her to nod before he continued, “I met Neal when we were both only sixteen…” he told her their story over the next hour, watching for any signs of disgust or potential rejection, but all he saw was sympathy and anger. He hoped the anger was not directed at him, but his fears were assuaged when she reached across the table and patted his hand.

“I completely understand your concern about Neal, dear. I promise I will not let anything happen to him. It is very difficult to love someone so much and not have that love returned, isn’t it, dear?”

Her sympathy and understanding nearly undid Tony, but he held firm to the tears that threatened to start. He gave her a sad smile and nodded his head.

“I’ll let them move in with me,” before Tony’s protests could escape him, she continued, “Now dear, I have a very large and empty home, I would love to fill it with people. This way I will be able to keep a closer eye on Kate and contact you if I have any concerns.”

Tony gave her a very large smile, “June, you are the best. I wish…never mind. Thank you for your understanding and concern. I’m just so worried that Kate will try and convince Neal to do something that will land him in trouble with the law. Josh would be devastated if something like that happened to his mother.”

June hesitated before speaking again, “Perhaps it would be best if Josh stayed with you, just until Neal got settled.”

Tony sighed, “I wish that would work, but I’m moving to Baltimore and if I took Josh there would be no one that I trusted to watch him when I was working.”

“Yes, that would be a dilemma and you don’t want to take the boy from his mother.”

Tony nodded his head in agreement, “Josh adores Neal.”

“Very well, I will look after him, but understand if I think that Neal or Kate is a treat to him, I’ll contact you and you will come and take him to live with you.”

Tony loved June just a little bit more at that moment, “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Good boy,” she smiled at him.

Neal, Josh, Kate and June left at the end of that week, leaving Tony to close up the apartment and move himself to Baltimore. He decided to just get rid of all the furniture and only take his cloths and personal effects. He would just get new things when he found an apartment in Baltimore; he would need to find one before the end of the month as he had made arrangements for Josh to visit him at least one weekend a month and all school breaks. If Tony had been able to he would have move to New York City as well, but he just didn’t think he could handle seeing Neal all the time; he needed to let his heart heal.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. This is the second post for 5/29.

Tony’s life in Baltimore was very different; he missed his son, but he spoke to him nightly. He received regular updates from June about Neal and Kate, so far nothing untoward had occurred. It had been nearly a year since he and Neal split; they had signed the divorce papers only six months prior, but Tony still had not started to really date. He had plenty of one night stands, but he never stayed with them longer than that one night. He had also shied away from ‘dating’ anyone other than women; he was also extremely careful to always use condoms, as he did not want any nasty surprises.

Tony had just returned home after a week-long undercover operation that had been successful, when his phone rang. Without looking he answered it, “DiNozzo.”

“Dad,” said a small voice on the other end.

“Josh, what’s wrong?” Tony asked immediately knowing something had happened.

“Aunt June and I have been trying to get ahold of you for the past few days, its Mom.”

“Josh, where is Aunt June?” Tony asked trying to slow his racing heart.

“Comforting mom, dad. Um…Uncle Mozzie wants to talk to you.”

Tony could hear the sound of the phone being passed off, before Mozzie came on, “Tony?”

“Yeah, I’m here Moz. What happened?”

Mozzie sighed, “Kate left and Neal is not taking it well.”

“Fuck,” Tony swore, he looked at his watch, he could be there in about four hours if he left right away. He closed his eyes, trying to decide if he should go or just let Neal deal with it on his own. Sighing, “Moz, I’ll be there in about four hours, alright.”

“Thanks Tony. I’ll tell Neal, see you then.”

Tony quickly collected what he needed for his trip; he contacted his captain on the road and informed him he had a family emergency in New York and needed to take some of his accumulated PTO. His captain was not happy, but he relented; Tony was the youngest detective with the Baltimore Police Department and he had the highest close rate of anyone on the force so they did not want to lose him.

Tony drove the almost one hundred and ninety miles to New York worried about Neal’s state of mind. He was sure that this might be the breaking point that either brought the Neal Tony knew or sent him over the edge. Tony knew Neal was fragile emotionally; they had never really dealt with their pasts, maybe now was the time for both of them to work through some issues.

Tony arrived at June’s Riverside home just under the predicted four hours. He was not surprised to have his son slam into him as he walked up the steps; Josh was too big for Tony to pick-up anymore, but he did it anyway. Carrying his son into the house Tony found Mozzie in the sitting room waiting for him, he nodded to the other man in acknowledgement. Tony sat Josh down and looked him in the face, he could see the obvious strain of the past few days; Tony kissed his son on the forehead saying, “I’m here now buddy. Let me go check up on your mom, okay.” Josh nodded his head and gave his dad a hug before releasing his hold on him.

Tony quickly found his way up to Neal’s apartment in June’s house; finding the door cracked he pushed it open to see June sitting on the couch with Neal’s head in her lap. Tony sighed, this was reminiscent of so many times Tony came home to find Neal crying his eyes out on their living room couch and Josh screaming his head off. Tony approached the two friends and carefully allowed June to extract herself from Neal so Tony could replace her. Once June left, Tony started to run his fingers through Neal’s hair talking to him as he did. When Neal finally calmed down enough for Tony to get him to sit up, he pulled Neal to him, wrapping his arm around him. Neal sighed and laid his head on his shoulder. They sat in silence, until Tony felt Neal yawn; making a decision, Tony pulled Neal to his feet and over to the bed, climbing in behind Neal felt so familiar that Tony had a moment of nostalgia.

“Want to talk about?”

“No,” Neal pouted.

Tony sighed, “Baby, I’m going to talk and you are going to listen to me.” He waited for Neal to nod before he continued, “Neal, I love you, I will always love you. You were my first love and you are still my best friend, but this avoidance has to stop. I know when we ran from Adler, neither of us wanted to talk about what happened, but I think that those issues are now cropping up. To be honest, they have been since Josh was born,” as Tony spoke Neal stiffened in his arms, but Tony was not deterred, “Neal, we need to fix this. I can already tell you haven’t been eating and that it has been going on longer then since Kate left. Talk to me, please.”

Neal deflated, “I don’t know, Tony. I was happy for a bit, but then everything seemed bleak again. Noting interested me. You were right about Kate, she did want something from me. I told her no and that was when she left.”

“What did she want, Neal,” warning bells went off in Tony’s head.

“She wanted me to forge some bonds; said we could make big money doing it, but I told her that I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t let Josh down like that, she got angry and left. I’m so screwed up right now Tony. What do I do?”

“I think that we need to find you a therapist that can help you deal with all this built up crap. It’s my fault, Neal. I should pushed you to see someone after Josh was born, but I didn’t want to discuss my own past and I knew that would end up happening. I’m sorry, Neal.”

Neal turned in Tony’s arms, burying him face in his chest, “Not your fault, Tony. I don’t think I can do this alone, Tony.”

“You don’t have to, Neal. You have June, Mozzie, and Josh here to help you.”

“But not you,” Neal said.

Tony closed his eyes briefly as the wave of desire hit him, “As a friend, you will always have me.”

Neal bit his lip, “We can never go back to what we had before, can we?”

“No, we can’t. Neal, I will always love you. I’m not going to lie and tell you that I don’t want you back, but I think that we need to work things out individually before we even consider getting back together. I want you to see someone, Neal. If in six months you want to try again, I’ll move up here and we can seek couples counseling, but I want you to work out your issues first. I’ll do the same, alright,” Tony gave Neal a small smile. He wasn’t naïve; he knew that Neal would realize that he needed to find his own happiness and that might not be with Tony. Tony pulled him close, “All I want is for you to be happy,” kissing the top of his head, he and Neal drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that this chapter helps to explain some of Neal's behavior in previous chapters.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I must apologize to everyone for yesterday's post. I didn't realize it had posted until late last night. I had tried to post it, but I think AO3's server went down (or my internet just sucked) so I didn't think it had posted. I realized after that I didn't explain who Mozzie was for those who never saw the show. I have tried to correct that with this chapter some, but it is not a complete explanation of who he really is. Please read the end note if you want a better description of Mozzie from the show.
> 
> Second, this chapter references White Collar episode "Vital Signs," (season 1 episode 10) I'm using this episodes plot to move Neal's story line along. 
> 
> Third, for all those who are Neal fans I hope that I have "fixed" some of his flaw that have occurred in my story. I know that he is really a caring and kind person on the show, I never wanted to diminish that (he is my favorite character on that show), but I was trying to show how messed up he was (for my story) and forgot to add the OOC for him. 
> 
> I want to thank all of you who pointed those errors and omissions out to me, you have me adding a more of Neal's story into this. I had not planned to see Neal much after they split; Tony was only going to reference him and his life, but that seems to be a bit of a disservice to the character. I also want to thank all of you who have stuck with this story, even when I screwed up, so thanks, I appreciate it. I also promise that when I bring in more White Collar related stuff to explain it better.
> 
> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Oh, and for those who are fans of the show, I think at the end of this chapter you will know who Neal meets next.

Everything improved for Neal after he started therapy; he started to eat again and spend time with his son. He admitted that he had been depressed for quite some time, but had not wanted to deal with his past. He took Tony’s advice and started to work through his past issues of his forced prostitution as a young teen and the sexual assaults. He had been ignoring how much his early years had influenced his behavior later; he wanted to be a better person. He wanted his son to look up to him and respect him. His therapist had recommended family therapy for Neal and Josh and after discussing it with Tony, he decided that it might help to bring them closer. He loved his son, but he acknowledged that he had pushed him way as he got older and older.

His relationship with Tony improved and after many late night phone calls they decided that give their relationship a second try was not in either of their best interests. He love Tony, and always would, but he was not in love with him. Neal had apologized to Tony for his behavior; he was now aware that he had been unintentionally manipulating Tony and using his love for him to try and fix Neal’s problems; when that didn’t work he ran from him. He would call or run to Tony anytime things got to be too much for him, and Tony, the saint he was, would always come. Neal was determined to make his own happiness and allow Tony to find his own; they could be friend, but never lovers again.

It had been six months since Kate left and his break down occurred, and because of his therapy he hadn’t felt this healthy in years. He didn’t know where he would be if it hadn’t been for Mozzie, June, and Josh. They had all encouraged him to continue, even when all he wanted to do was curl up and hide. He was extremely happy that he had met Moz, even if the man was a bit on the odd side. After Tony, Mozzie was Neal’s best friend. The thing with Moz was that he was just as secretive about his past as Neal and Tony were about theirs. They had met by accident in Central Park; he would go there to think and one day this short guy with glasses sat next to him. Somehow they started a conversation about wine and by the end of the afternoon, Neal had made a new friend. He could be overly protective of Neal, but now that Neal was getting help he could see why.

June was a Godsend, she would always make certain that Josh was cared for when Neal was having a bad day. She was his patron with his art work and had arranged many of his recent shows with some very prominent galleries. Many of his works had been sold, giving him a very nice income. June; however, only charged him a modest rent and Tony sent him and Josh money every month to pay their expenses. Neal tried to protest, but Tony told him that Josh was still his responsibility and he would provide for him. Neal had acquiesced, but had insisted that they protect Josh’s future; they set-up a trust fund that both could place funds into.

Over the last six months his relationship with his son had improved; he found that Josh had inherited some of his artistic talent and his father’s musical talent. He also had a fierce loyalty and protectiveness to those he considered family, another trait he shared with his father. Neal was pulled from his musings by a knock on his door. When he opened it he found June looking very upset.

“June, what happened?”

“It’s my granddaughter, Neal. I don’t know what to do.”

“What’s happened to Samantha?” Neal asked; maneuvering June over to his couch, Neal got her comfortable and went to get a glass of water for her. When he returned he handed it to, her sitting next to her on the couch encouraging her to speak.

“She is very sick, Neal. She needs a kidney transplant, but was removed from the list last week. Yesterday, I was approached by a charity that claimed they could help to locate a kidney for her, for a small donation, of course.”

Neal raised his eyebrow skeptically at that, “How small?”

“One hundred thousand dollars; it’s not that I can’t afford it, but I know when something feels off and this doesn’t feel right.”

“Something does seem off. I don’t know what I can do to help, but maybe we should call Tony and ask what he thinks you should do. I could also call Mozzie, have him do some background on the charity for you,” Neal offered.

June sighed, she did not want to really bother Tony with this, but he was the only one that she knew in law enforcement that she trusted, “Please, Neal, contact them.”

Neal quickly pulled his phone out and hit his speed dial for Tony, he waited for Tony to answer and when he did, he gave a small smile at his brusque answer, “DiNozzo.”

“Tony, its Neal.”

“Neal, what wrong?” Tony said agitatedly.

“Tony calm down, nothing is wrong. I just need some advice.”

“Oh, alright, what up?”

Neal preceded to explain the situation to Tony, when he was done Tony told him that it sounded like black market organ trafficking. He recommended they contact the FBI for assistance.

“Thanks, Tony.”

“No problem, Neal. I…tell Josh hi for me.”

“Of course, he will probably call you later anyway. Bye, Tony.”

“Bye, Neal.”

Neal looked at June and relayed the information Tony had given him; she agreed to contact the FBI. Neal insisted that he would go with her and help in any way he could; he owed her that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mozzie, in the show White Collar is Neal's best friend, confidant, and accomplice in some of Neal's cons. Mozzie is also a con artist, he and Neal met with Neal was fairly new in the game and he did teach Neal some tricks of the trade. Mozzie is also a government conspiracy theorist, so he is quiet quirky, but he is loyal and devoted to Neal.   
> For the purposes of this story I have altered how Neal Caffrey meets many of the people in his life. In the show, Neal is a con artist who uses his artistic talent to forge paintings and other things to make money. He is caught and sentenced to four years in prison for bond forgery (the only thing they could convict him on), with only a few months left on his sentence he escapes the prison in search of his girlfriend, Kate. Kate broke up with him while he was in prison, but he is unable to accept her reason and believes she is in trouble (and yes, she really was). Okay, so I don't want to give too much more away (just in case any of you every want to go watch the show in re-runs).


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Peter might seem a bit OOC in this.

Neal was sitting in the conference room of the FBI’s Manhattan White Collar Division; he had instead on accompanying June, it was the least he could do for her after everything she had done for him. They were waiting for the Special Agent in Charge after being escorted into the room by a FBI Agent. Neal had all the information that he was able to obtain regarding the charity ready for the FBI.

The door to the room opened and a young black man entered, he introduced himself as Special Agent Clinton Jones; he apologized for the delay and asked if they needed anything. They both shook their heads, but Neal decided to hand the file to Agent Jones, hoping that it would intrigue them enough to not just ignore them.

“Agent Jones, I have some information on the charity that approached June. It’s all publicly obtained, as well as, what they gave June at the first meeting,” he smiled as he handed the file to him.

Jones just raised an eyebrow at him, realizing that he hadn’t introduced himself, “Sorry, Neal DiN…Caffrey. I’m a friend of June’s,” Neal explained.

“Well, Mister Caffrey, thank you. I’ll see that Agent Burke get this,” he nodded to them as he left the room.

Neal was not a patient man sometimes; he started to pace the room waiting for the lead agent to see them, it wasn’t until June told him to sit, because he was making her nervous that he returned to his seat. Just as he was sitting down the door opened and Neal couldn’t breathe; before him stood Peter, his Peter. He was older, but Neal would recognized him anywhere. He hadn’t seen him since he and Tony ran from Adler; that night they had shared their last kiss right before Tony collected him, of course at the time Neal did not know it would be the last one. Neal was still trying to catch his breath when Peter looked at him; Peter must have recognized him because he held his gaze before turning to June. The rest of the meeting was a blur to Neal, it wasn’t until June called his name that he realized Peter was done talking to June.

“I’m sorry, I must have wondered off for a moment,” he smiled at June.

“That’s fine Neal, it has been a long day. Perhaps we should leave Agent Burke to his investigation.”

“Actually, if Mister Caffrey has some time I would like to ask him a few questions, about the information he obtained,” Peter said.

June turned to Neal wanting to make certain that nothing was wrong; he gave her a quick smile, “I’ll be fine June. I’ll see you back at the house,” he really hoped she would accept that, because he needed to talk to Peter alone.

“Very well, Neal. I will see you later,” with that she left the room.

The two men stared at each other for a while, before Peter rose from his chair and left the room; leaving a bewildered Neal behind. Peter wasn’t gone long, though; he returned to the room, locking the door before he stalked over to Neal, pulling him from his chair and giving him the most possessive, toe curling kiss of his life, leaving him breathless again. Peter pulled back from the kiss, framing his hands on Neal’s face and resting their foreheads together.

“I never thought I would see you again,” Peter half choked out.

“Peter,” Neal whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Neal. I know you might not believe me, but I still love you. I wish I had never let you go.”

“Peter, we…I have so much to tell you, but now is not the time. There are things you need to know.”

Peter sighed, “Neal, I…”

Neal wouldn’t let him finish, “No, Peter, I need time to think and you need to know my whole story, before you decide to declare your love. I’m not sure what I feel at the moment; I don’t want to run into something that we will regret later. Have dinner with me, Peter.”

Peter smiled at Neal, “I can do that. How about tonight?”

Neal swallowed, “Alright, eight o’clock,” Neal grabbed pen and paper and jotted down an address, handing it to Peter, “Meet me here.”

Peter took the paper and pulled Neal towards him giving him a quick kiss before releasing him and escorting him out of the room towards the elevators.

“Tonight, eight o’clock,” Peter said.

Neal just gave him a smile.

************************************

Neal was a nervous wreck by the time he was to meet Peter. He had found one of Byron’s, June’s late husband, Sy Devore suits; he hadn’t felt this nervous in, well he really couldn’t remember. He turned when he heard Josh enter the room, Josh took in Neal’s attire, “Do you have a date, mom?”

“Um…yeah, I do.”

Josh narrowed his eyes at Neal, “What’s her name and where did you meet her?”

“First off, he is not a she; he is a him. I mean my date is a man,” Neal said nervously. Before Josh could say anything else, “Josh, come sit with me, please.” Josh sat, albeit reluctantly, “I need to tell you something, I won’t ask you to promise not to tell your dad, but I hope that you will consider not tell him about this, yet,” he waited for Josh to nod before he continued, “Remember when I told you some of what happened to me when I was younger, well I met this guy through that.” Neal grabbed his son’s arm, before he jumped up and started to yell at him, “Let me finish, please. I met him and fell for him, but when I ran with your dad, I had to leave him behind. He was an FBI agent, undercover at the time and he asked me to go with him, but I was too afraid. I ran to your dad instead; I don’t regret that or having you, but I think I want to see if Peter and I could have a future, now.”

Josh closed his eyes; he took a deep breath, “Alright, I won’t tell dad, yet. If things get serious, though, I will tell him. I think I get why you don’t want him to know yet. You’re afraid he will run up her to ‘save’ you again.”

Neal gave his son a sad smile, “Yeah, Josh. I need this…I need to prove to myself that I can make my own decisions and my own mistakes. I need for your dad to stop saving me and I want him to have the life he deserves. I don’t want to hurt him anymore.”

Josh nodded, giving his mom a kiss on the cheek and leaving the room. Neal quickly finished getting ready; as he was leaving he found Mozzie playing a card game with June, he stopped and asked if they could keep an eye on Josh for the night. He apologized for the short notice, but he had a last minute dinner date and really didn’t want to cancel. Since it was Neal’s first time to ask them since his breakdown, they agreed. Neal left them shortly after the twenty questions were finished and headed to meet Peter.

He found Peter outside the restaurant looking just as nervous as Neal. He walked over to him and was surprised to have Peter pull him into a passionate kiss, right on the street. It felt like the kiss would never end; Peter ran his tongue over Neal’s lips encouraging him to open his mouth, when Neal did Peter started to explore Neal’s mouth, before he knew it Neal was moaning wanting more of Peter. Once the kiss ended, Neal rested his head against Peter’s shoulder panting and trying to catch his breath.

“Peter…I…we,” Neal tried to speak, but he was sure his brain had been shorted out.

Peter gave him a smug smile, “It’s alright, sweetheart, nothing you say will change how I feel about you. I…I even tried to look for you after you left, but you seem to have dropped off the radar. When I saw you in that room today, I just knew that we are meant to be together. Are you hungry?”

Neal just shook his head no, trying to catch his breath.

“Good, come on, I’ll take you to my place and we can talk there. If you get hungry we can order in.”

Neal knew he should protest, but all he wanted right now was to have Peter wrapped around him as he told him his story. He knew he would probably end up in Peter’s bed before the night was over, but right now he really didn’t care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested in more Neal/Peter story line, just let me know. I could put them as a separate side story in the same AU. Right now I think Tibbs is beckoning (at least inside this story).


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> I really don't care for this chapter, but it doesn't want to work any other way. Yes and you will notice that some of the dialog is from the Episode 'Baltimore' (I spent time yesterday re-watching that episode).

“Freeze, dirtbag!” shouted at the perp he and his partner were chasing. Tony rounded the corner, “You can't outrun me; I'm wearing tube socks!” Tony shouted again as he tackled the guy; he went down hard, but came up swinging, hitting Tony in the face.

Quick as he could, he pulled his gun pointing it right in the guy’s face, “I said freeze, dirtbag!” The guy finally stopped moving, allowing himself to be cuffed. Tony hauled the guy to the car and put him in the back; he waited for Danny to get back, as soon as he saw him he asked, “What took you so long?”

“Very funny, Tony,” Danny huffed as he tried to catch his breath, as he tried to control his own perp. “I see you caught the guy.”

“Yep, now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get him back and I put some ice on my jaw.”

“He hit you,” Danny said, looking Tony over critically.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been hit harder,” Tony said, dismissively.

When they returned to the station house, Tony put his collar into a holding cell, when the guy began to protest, Tony just raised an eyebrow at him; he saw an imperceptible nod of acceptance. Tony left the area in search of ice. Damn that cop hit hard; Tony could pick a cop or law enforcement officer out a mile away. Whoever this guy was, he was good, but not good enough to fool Tony.

He iced his jaw for a bit, then pulled the guy out of lock up and with his partner, who he didn’t trust, began to interrogate the perp. Tony would play his part until the cop decided he wanted to tell them what was going on. It didn’t take long for him to claim he worked for Naval Criminal Investigative Service or NCIS; he was a navy cop, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Tony was struck at how blue Gibbs’ eyes were; he had to admit that he was attracted to the man, but this was not the time for those thoughts.

The case went smoothly, well, as smoothly as a case can with money laundering and murder involved could. He wasn’t surprised to find his partner was dirty, he was surprised to find Gibbs telling him to show up at NCIS headquarters. Tony had to admit, he was intrigued by one Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Tony showed up when told and Gibbs led him down a hallway; after a head slap and something about rule five, Tony was shown a door with a plaque stating ‘Human Resources.’ Tony entered it and took their exam, filled out all the appropriate paper work and within a few days he was headed off to FLETC in Charleston, South Carolina. After completing his training, he found himself working with Gibbs.

Gibbs might seem like a bastard to some, but Tony was not fooled by his hard exterior. Tony was very good at reading people; he figured that Gibbs might be receptive to him. He was patient, he could wait and see how things played out. He smiled to himself as he followed Gibbs to the elevator, calling, “On your six, boss.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Gibbs is OOC in this. He will be his usual self at work, but at home his is going to seem different.

Tony had been working for Gibbs for nearly two months, when the water heater in his apartment went out. Tony had been reluctant to say anything as he was so new still. His transition had been difficult; Abby, the forensic specialist, hadn’t taken to him quickly. In fact, she had been out right hostile to him at first; it had taken him baking her his famous make-up cupcakes. Well, they were only famous between him and Neal; Tony had started to bake when he and Neal were first married, the cupcakes came about because Tony had pissed Neal off one time and Tony decided to apologize with them. After that, they became a regular when he did something wrong.   Of course, he didn’t tell Abby that he had made the cupcakes himself; she had wrongfully thought he bought it at some bakery, so he allowed that assumption to continue. He was hesitant to all too much of himself become known to new people, especially after Philly.

Ducky was another matter; Tony liked the man, even if he immediately started to call him Anthony. When he was in Ducky’s presence, sometimes he felt as if the man could see right into his soul, other times Tony thought the man was as blind as a bat. He missed so much of who Tony really was that at times Tony felt like guiding him to the truth, but again he was reluctant. He was very reluctant to make friends with anyone at NCIS, he definitely did not want them knowing about Neal or his son.

When Tony started to work for Gibbs, he had insisted that he have at least one weekend a month off. He never told him why, just that he had something he did once a month in New York. Since Tony was born in New York, they all thought he went to see his parents; nothing could be farther from the truth. He was drawn from his musings by a slap to the back of his head. Shaking it, he turned to find Gibbs staring at him, “Something wrong with your shower at home, DiNozzo?”

“No, boss, just my water heater went out and taking cold showers in November is just not fun. I hope that I’m not breaking some rule against using the showers?”

“No, how long will it take for it to be fixed?”

Tony grimaced, he really did not want to tell Gibbs that they needed to replace it and the new one was on back order for some reason. Tony still couldn’t figure out why they just couldn’t replace it with a generic one, but his landlord said something about code or some such non-senses.   Gibbs was staring at him expectantly, he decided it was best to answer, “They don’t know, boss. It might take time, I plan on finding a hotel room until it is fixed.”

Gibbs gave a frustrated sigh, “DiNozzo, I know how much you make. You can stay with me until it’s fixed.”

“O…Okay, boss, thanks. I promise I won’t be a bother,” Tony smiled at him.

Gibbs just grunted and left the room.

HIs first night at Gibbs’ was interesting; Josh called him to talk and Tony really did not want to explain to Gibbs about him yet, so he had gone upstairs to the guest bedroom to talk to his son. Josh still reported on Neal to Tony, but lately he was very quiet about him.

“Josh, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing, dad.”

“Josh,” Tony said warningly.

“It really is nothing dad. It’s just that mom is seeing someone new and I think they are getting serious.”

A knot in Tony’s stomach tightened at that, “What’s her name, Josh.”

“Dad, don’t ask me that, besides it’s not a woman.”

“Oh…Josh, is this man hurting your mom?”

“No, dad. He’s actually really nice and,” Josh hesitated, as if he was deciding if it was alright to tell Tony some personal fact about the man, “and he is an FBI agent, dad. Mom really is trying to do things on his own and he doesn’t want you to try and rescue him from himself anymore,”

When Josh stopped to take a breath, Tony interrupted him, “I get it, son. I’ll stay out of it, as long as you think I should. If you suspect this man of doing anything that your mom doesn’t like or against his will, you had better call me, got that?”

“Of course, I’ll call you, I promise. I got to go dad,” Josh said.

“Alright, bye. I love you, Josh.”

“Love you too, dad.”

After his call with his son, Tony went downstairs to find Gibbs; he found the man in his basement working on a boat.

He shook his head at the man, “A boat, really?”

“Yeah, a boat DiNozzo.”

“Well, I guess every man needs a hobby,” Tony smiled at Gibbs; he noticed the man slightly shiver at that. Tony went down the stairs towards his boss, keeping an eye on his reaction. When Gibbs broke eye contact with Tony, it surprised him; Gibbs was the consummate Alpha male at work, Tony figured that he was the same at home, but maybe he wasn’t. Tony began to stalk towards him, but just as he was in touching distance, Gibbs moved away.

“It’s late, we should get some sleep.”

Tony gave a frustrated sigh, but decided it was best to agree and head to bed, “Yeah, it is. See you in the morning, Boss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really not happy with this chapter either, but I didn't want to make the story jump years into the future. I also, didn't want Tony and Gibbs to fall into bed at first sight. As for Gibbs being OOC, I had a thought and ran with it. Gibbs picked some really strong willed woman (Stephanie was probably the weakest out of them) so I thought what if at work Gibbs is all Alpha male/top dog, but at home his is a bit softer and less alpha male. Yeah, right, but for this story to work, I needed Gibbs to be less alpha male (because if you didn't notice Tony is a bit bossy at home). Anyway, sorry to ramble. I know terrible chapter, but the next one will be better.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome. 
> 
> I think some of you were waiting for this, hope you enjoy it.

Tony had been nervous ever since he walked off the elevator that morning, to find a very familiar figure in front of Gibbs’ desk. Toby looked almost the same, but with just a little less hair. Tony so wanted to walk over to him and give him a hug, but refrained; he did not want anyone to question how they knew each other. He waited for Gibbs to introduce him, “DiNozzo,” Gibbs snapped.

“Yes, Boss?”

“This is Fornell. We’re working a joint case,” Gibbs said brusquely getting up to leave the bullpen.

“Uh…Boss, where are you going?”

“Coffee,” was his answer.

Tony turned towards Toby, but before he could say anything, “FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell, why don’t we find a conference room and discuss the case.”

“Yeah, sure.”

They made it to the conference room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Tony took Fornell off guard by pulling the shorter man into a tight hug. Fornell patted him on the back; pulling back Tony took Fornell’s face in his hands and leaning down gave him a slow kiss that left Fornell panting and sputtering at the same time, “What the fuck, Tone?”

“What,” Tony shrugged, “The first time we met; I kissed you. Just thought I would carry on the tradition. I also love the expressions you make when I do it, too. It’s really good to see you, Toby.”

“Damn, kid you haven’t change a bit.”

“Oh, I’ve changed; I even have a kid of my own.”

“You got married, good for you. How’s Neal?”

“Yeah,” Tony started, as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Neal’s fine. Actually, he and I got married, but things just didn’t work out. Our son, Josh; here, I have a picture of him,” Tony pulled his wallet out and found Josh’s latest school picture handing it to Fornell.

Fornell looked at it critically, “Good looking kid, Tone. I have a daughter, but she lives with her mom.” He found a picture of his daughter, handing it to Tony.

Smiling at him, Tony asked, “What’s her name?”

“Emily. Where do Josh and Neal live now?”

“New York City; Neal is pursuing his art career and I just couldn’t take Josh from him. Neal has had a hard time of things, but with some therapy he’s getting better.”

“And you, Tone?”

“I’m good, Toby. Miss my son, but I see him as often as I can and we talk every night.”

“That’s good, but I meant therapy, Tone.”

Tony gave Fornell a look that said, you are an idiot, “Yeah, therapy and me, not such a good combo. I haven’t had nightmares in years. I’m fine. We should get back out there before Gibbs gets back. Have dinner with me tonight, we can catch up more then.”

Fornell sighed, “Sure Tone, I’d like that. Eight o’clock, I’ll make you dinner at my place.”

Tony just slapped Fornell on the back as they left the room.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Tony and Fornell’s dinners became a weekly ritual, unless one of them was stuck at work. They discussed everything, in a way Toby was becoming Tony’s best friend or at least one of them. They would trade off making dinner at each other’s places. Even though he was dubious at first, Toby finally accepted that Tony could cook and he was not limited to take out. Tony told him about Neal’s new boyfriend; that everyone was being secretive about; Tony was starting to worry, but Fornell reminded him that Neal was not his anymore, Tony had set his sights on Gibbs.

Tony wasn’t sure about his boss. He kept sending signals, but Gibbs seemed to just ignore him. It had been months since Tony’s last attempt and he was frustrated. He had never had this much trouble attracting someone. He was certain that Gibbs was attracted to him, he just couldn’t figure out why he would practically run from him every time Tony got close.

He had been working for Gibbs for almost a year, when one night he and Toby were having a beer at Tony’s place. Tony suddenly straddled Toby’s lap and kissed him. Toby stiffened at the move, pushing Tony away, “What the fuck, Tone?”

Tony sighed, resting his head against Fornell’s, “I’m horny, Toby. You seemed to like it, since I’m pretty sure that isn’t a gun in your pants,” Tony winked at him.

“God, Tone…I thought you had a thing for Gibbs,” Toby deflected Tony’s comment.

“I do, but I think he doesn’t. I…fuck I haven’t had sex in so damn long, come on Toby, you know what I can do.”

“Tone, talk to me. You said that Gibbs has invited you over several times, what happened?”

“We talk, well, I talk and have a beer and pizza. I usually move to kiss him or touch him and he pulls away. He usually tells me it’s late and we should get some sleep,” Tony shrugged.

“Damn, Tone. He is not some guy paying for sex. I really don’t know if Gibbs has ever been with a man, but I think you should talk to him, before you try to kiss him. Have you ever dated anyone?”

“Toby, I was selling myself since I was sixteen; can’t exactly date and do that, especially when you are being force to. Neal and I never dated, we just got married when I found out he was pregnant.”

“Alright, Tone. Let me give you some dating advice. First, Gibbs might want some romance or I don’t know actual conversation. Second, you cannot just jump him. Third, if he has never been with a man, he might be nervous; talk to him, idiot.”

“What about you and me, Toby?”

“Tone, there is no ‘us’. If you really want Gibbs, we should not have sex of any kind. Gibbs is old fashioned, if he thinks you are seeing someone else he is going to push you away. He also probably wants exclusive, not open.”

Tony removed himself from Toby’s lap, giving him a sad smile, but before he could move too far Toby grabbed his arm, bringing him back down next to him. Turning Tony’s head to face him, Fornell looked him straight in the eyes, “Tone, if Gibbs doesn’t want you or a relationship with you. We can try, but I want you to talk to him before you throw away your chance. I care about you too much to let you just waste a chance. You deserve to be happy.”

Tony looked deep into Fornell’s eyes trying to find some deceit, but all he saw was deep affection, “Damnit, why can’t I fall for someone who wants me, Toby? I always seem to pick the ones that don’t know what they want or just don’t want me.”

“Talk to him, Tone. Talk to him before you say he doesn’t want you, okay.”

Tony sighed and laid his head on Toby’s shoulder closing his eyes and enjoying the closeness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I need some suggestions here. I adore the character of Fornell and want him to be happy too. Any ideas of who he should fall for (just not Tony). I have a few ideas, but I'm just not sure about them. Original character or one from the show? Male or Female (and not Diane)?


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Tony entered Gibbs’ house without knocking; the man never locked his door and that drove Tony up a wall. He was on a mission; he needed to know what Gibbs wanted from him. He figured that Gibbs would be in his basement, but as he was just shutting the door he heard a noise coming from the stairs leading to the second floor. He looked to see his boss coming down the stairs wearing a worn pair of jeans and an old NIS sweatshirt.

“DiNozzo, phone not working?”

Tony cleared this throat trying to find his voice, “No, boss, the phones work just fine. I needed to talk to you. It’s personal,” he finished as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Gibbs sighed as he finished down the stairs towards his couch; when he reached it he sat down patting the cushion next to him. Tony walked over and took a seat next to him, turning so they were facing each other.

“Tony, I have rules and one of them is never date a co-worker. You are also my subordinate; everything about us dating would be breaking not only my personal rules, but NCIS rules. I can’t do that, I’m sorry if I was giving you the wrong impression.”

He arched his eyebrows at Gibbs, “Are those your only objections, Jethro?”

Gibbs looked at him, obviously shocked by the use of his preferred name, “Yes,” he said hesitantly.

He could tell that something else was holding Gibbs back, he took a chance and pressed forward, “I have a theory here, Jethro. Do you want to hear my theory?” Gibbs shook his head no, but Tony pressed on, “Well, too bad, because you are going to hear it. My theory is that you are scared of a relationship. I reckon that you haven’t ever been with a man before and that scares the shit out of you. Am I right?”

Gibbs went to move away from Tony, but Tony pulled him back onto the couch, “Let me tell you something, Jethro. I met someone my freshman year of college, had sex with him, found out he was pregnant and insisted that we get married. I realized while he was in labor that I was hopelessly in love with him; he was my best friend, but we just couldn’t make it work. He didn’t love me enough, even our son couldn’t keep us together. I’m telling you this, Jethro, because I don’t love easily but when I do I love completely. What I want from you is that Jethro, I want to love you completely,” he held his hand up to stop Gibbs from talking, “Let me finish, please. You need to understand somethings about me; I’m a possessive, jealous bastard when I’m in love with someone. If we do this, you will belong to me, completely, but I will also belong to you, completely.” Tony cautiously brought his hands to frame Jethro’s face, “There is something else you need to know, I’m not comfortable…um…well the term is bottoming. I…had a bad experience and I just freak out anytime it’s tried. I needed you to know that, because if you want that I…think we shouldn’t even try. I’m willing to wait as long as you want for sex and we can work up to all of it, but I probably won’t ever be able to bottom, I’m sorry. I want you to think about all of what I said before you answer me, alright, baby,” Tony could see Gibbs’ eyes widen at the endearment, but he ignored it and leaned in to give him a kiss. The kiss was slow and chaste, not demanding in anyway; he wanted to leave him with something to think about. He was a bit startled when Gibbs started to kiss him back, almost demanding entrance to him mouth, but Tony stopped the kiss before it could escalate, “As much as I want you, baby, I really think you need to think about what I said. Then tell me your expectations of me. I’m going to go home now, I’ll see you later, “Tony said as he lightly kissed him again. Tony quickly left before he did anything else stupid, leaving a very confused Gibbs in his wake.

******

Gibbs raised his fingers to his lips still feeling the kiss that Tony had given him. Honestly, he was confused about everything right now. He had never felt this way before, except that wasn’t completely true, he had felt this way once before, a long time ago, Shannon, he thought. The last time he felt this completely lost was when he met Shannon; she had been beautiful sitting at that station, with her rules against dating lumberjacks; he smiled to himself at the memory of his beloved wife. He had loved her completely and she had given him the most beautiful daughter; they had both been strong women, even if Kelly had only been eight years old when she died.

He understood Tony’s need to love and be love completely; he had that with Shannon and Kelly, but could he have that with Tony. Gibbs had never had that with his three ex-wives or any of the other women he dated after. He knew he was an Alpha male, but could he submit to Tony and was it really submitting or was it more about accepting someone he loved and their limitations. Shannon hadn’t really submitted to him during sex; it was a mutual, pleasurable act. It was making love, not just sex. He hadn’t demanded that she do what he wanted in bed; they had enjoyed making each other sore, with love and affection. Could he have that with Tony, he wondered as he wandered down to his basement to work on his boat. He always thought clearer when he worked on his boat; he would give it some time and think about everything Tony said.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> I think some might find Gibbs as OOC in this chapter, but I personally think that he is fairly in character. I remember the season finale and Gibbs can't even point to his feelings, let alone talk about them. Sorry if any of this comes off too sappy.

Several weeks after Tony had asked Gibbs to think about a relationship, he was finally ready to talk to Tony. They had been lucky, as their case load was light and they had a new team member, Vivian Blackadder. Although, Tony wasn’t certain about her yet; he was good at reading people and he did not like what he saw. He was pretty damn sure she was an Ahab, looking for revenge. She was going to get someone killed; he just hoped that Gibbs saw it, before that happened.

Tony entered Gibbs’ place with a pizza and a six-pack of beer, not sure what to expect. He found Gibbs sitting on his couch; he placed the pizza and beer on the coffee table taking a seat next to his boss.

“Eat or talk first?” Tony questioned.

“I’m not very hungry,” Gibbs said nervously.

“Alright, since you allowed me to have my say, I promise not to interrupt you while you talk,” Tony encouraged him.

Gibbs took a deep breath before he began to speak, “I thought a great deal about what you said. I want to try, but I need to go slow. Jumping into bed and letting you…um…well I’m just not ready for that yet.”

Tony waited, then blinked at Gibbs when he didn’t say anything else. “Okay, ground rules?” he questioned.

When Gibbs gave him a bewildered look he continued, “Let’s try this; I won’t do anything but exclusive. No one gets you and no one gets me,” Gibbs nodded in agreement, “Good, we will take it slow, if I do something that you don’t like you tell me, I’ll stop,” Gibbs again nodded, “What we have at home, stays at home. If we’re fighting, it stays here, we don’t take it to work,” Gibbs nodded again, at this rate Tony was going to be old and grey by the end of the conversation. “If we start bringing it to work, I’ll leave,” Tony was shocked to see Jethro get agitated at that, “Calm down, baby. I meant, I would leave the job, not you,” Tony said as he pull Gibbs in for a chaste kiss, trying to comfort him.

Gibbs was better with actions, not feelings. He tried to turn the kiss more heated wanting the connection to Tony, but Tony put a stop to it, “Baby, we are so not done talking. More kissing later, promise,” he said, giving Gibbs a smile that nearly melted him. “I will introduce you to my son, but not until I know that we are making it work. I won’t introduce someone new into his life just to let him lose them. You are not my dirty little secret, alright. I want this; I just can’t…I have to protect him as much as I can. Can you accept that?”

Jethro sighed, nuzzling the hands that had come to frame his face, “Yes,” he whispered.

“What are your rules, Jethro?”

Gibbs blinked at him, dumbfounded at the question.

“Jethro, this is not one-sided. I don’t make the rule and you follow them. This is about the two of us, as a couple deciding on what we want together. I know that I have a few things that I won’t negotiate on; I won’t bottom, I won’t introduce you to my son until I’m ready, and I won’t share, but everything else I’m open too.”

“I won’t share, either. Look, Tony, I’m going to try and push you away…you have to stand up to me and make me…you have to push me. I…fuck…three ex-wives and I did not ask one of them to marry me. They all took it upon themselves to do all the arrangements, I just showed up.”

Tony pulled Jethro into his lap, being certain the man was looking him in the face, he began, “Baby, and yes I’m going to call you baby; I will never make you do anything you don’t like or want. I will protect you, care for you, and cherish you. I expect the same from you. Jethro, I have a tendency to be overprotective of what is mine, and if we do this, you will be mine, just like I will be yours. I will never let anyone hurt you, if I can help it. I also, know that you, being a Marine, probably have the same tendencies; I can accept that, but not at work. I’ll have your six and try to prevent it, but I understand the dangers of our jobs. I want this to work, Jethro.”

Surprising himself, Jethro leaned in kissing Tony and demanding entrance, Tony allowed it, but stopped it before Jethro could go too far. Jethro groaned in frustration, “Babe, you need to talk to me, not jump me.”

“Damnit, Tony, I’m not good at talking. I’m good at action. I can talk about a case or a mission, but feelings leave me tongue tied.”

“I get that, babe. How about this; if you decide that you want to add something to our short list, you tell me, okay,” Tony suggested.

“I can do that,” Gibbs said with a small shy smile.

“Good, now do you want to make out some more?” Tony questioned.

The only answer he received was Gibbs pulling him into a demanding kiss, this time Tony let it happen.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Sorry for the short chapter, but it sort of is a turning point in the story.

Over the next year, Tony and Jethro’s relationship flourished. Tony was even planning on taking him to New York to meet Josh at Christmas time, since they were off rotation. Tony and Fornell still had their weekly dinners, but to keep Gibbs from asking too many questions about how they knew each other, they were always in secret. Tony would always pick nights that Jethro would want to work on his boat; Tony had kept his apartment so that he could retreat and give his lover space.

Tony had finally convinced Jethro to lock his door, after they had almost been caught by Abby while they were making out. Their sex life was slowly evolving; they had not yet made it to actual intercourse, but they had been intimate, beyond kissing. He was waiting for Gibbs to return from an emergency meeting in MTAC, when his cell rang.

“DiNozzo.”

“Tony,” Neal said.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Um…do you have time to talk?”

Tony looked at his watch, Gibbs had been gone just under ten minutes, “Just for a few.”

“Okay, I’ll make it quick. I’ve been seeing someone, his name is Peter Burke. I know you’ll want to do a background check on him,” Tony could practically hear Neal roll his eyes.

“Neal, I already know that his is FBI. Josh told me shortly after you started to date him. I’m not jealous; I’m happy for you as long as he treats you right,” Tony said quietly.

“Oh, well that was easier than I thought. Actually, I have more news. Peter was offered a position in D.C. and he wants to take it. He asked me to go with him, I said yes.”

“That’s great Neal. What about your career?”

“I can paint any place. June said that I can still have access to the loft any time I need it for a show here. Moz plans on staying on as my manager, so he will be able to keep booking gallery showings. Right now I need to get some more painted before I have another show.”

“That’s really great Neal. Look, I…ow…bye,” Tony hung up and rubbed the back of his head.

“Grab your gear,” Gibbs barked.

Tony was already picking up his pack and following Gibbs to the elevator; glaring at the man in front of him, they were going to have a nice long talk about the head slaps when they were off work. Unfortunately, the case they caught took much longer than expected; by the time they had solved it Gibbs had hired a new agent, former Secret Service Agent Caitlin Todd. Tony never did get to discuss the head slaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on bringing Neal, Peter, and Josh back into the active story line. Also, I have some ideas for a side story following their story line, before they come back into it. 
> 
> Oh, by the way Tony will have that little chat about the head slaps with Gibbs, eventually.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> ***Warning***  
> Gibbs will come off ooc in this chapter, but he really is just nervous.

Tony was waiting for Jethro to get home; he had been forced to stay at work late running some operation in MTAC. Tony had made a nice dinner that was warming in the oven, he had opened a bottle of good wine to let it breath and he set the table with candles. He put his head in his hands, wondering when he decided that Jethro needed candles. Before he could berate himself further, he felt a strong callused hand run through his hair.

“Hey, what’s wrong Tony?”

“Nothing Jethro. I just realized that I’m trying to romance you with dinner and candles,” Tony stood giving his lover a kiss.

“What’s wrong with dinner and candles, Tony?” Gibbs asked.

“Nothing, baby. You’re just not a woman and that is usually reserved for them,” Tony shrugged.

“Says who?”

“I…I have no idea,” Tony laughed.

Jethro smiled at him, “It smells good. Let’s eat.”

The two men sat and ate dinner discussing the day’s events. Tony had been more open with Jethro about Josh, so now the other man would ask how he was doing.

“Actually, you’ll get to meet him and probably see him a lot. Peter, Neal’s boyfriend is transferring down to the D.C. office. Neal is going to move with him, so Josh will be here,” Tony said happily.

“When did you find this out?”

“Oh…just before our last case. I was actually on the phone with Neal when you,” Tony’s eyes narrowed, “hit me on the back of the head. I was going to talk to you about that, but haven’t had the chance yet.”

“What about them?”

“I don’t like them, Jethro.”

“Well, then do your job and don’t get side tracked.”

Tony narrowed his eyes more, “No, Jethro you misunderstand me. I. Don’t. Like. Them. They need to stop. If you think I need to focus tell me, do not hit me.”

“I’ll think about it,” Jethro said.

“Boss, I don’t mind a playful tap, but what you do with the head slaps is not playful. I’m warning you, next time you do that at work you will not like the results,” Tony said as calmly, but with all the vehemence that he could.

In the two years he had known Tony, Gibbs had never heard Tony speak like that, “Alright, Tony. I’ll watch what I do at work.”

“Thank you. I’d better clean the kitchen up. Meet you upstairs after,” Tony happily said.

“Sure, I want to take a shower anyway.”

**********

Tony was happily humming a tune Jethro had never heard when he entered the bedroom; he stopped dead in the doorway when he saw Jethro stretched out on the bed completely naked, stroking himself.

“Jethro?”

“I want you, Tony.”

Tony blinked at him, they had only gone so far in the last year. They had mostly stuck to hand jobs and frontage; on occasion Tony would give him a blow job, but only if Tony could control the situation. Tony moved towards the bed, not sure how to respond to him.

“Jethro, I don’t think,” Tony started.

Jethro stopped him, “Tony, we have been together for over a year. I want this. I want you. I know I told you I wanted to take it slow, but I did not mean sloth slow. I also remember that you said you couldn’t…um…bottom, so I want to, please Tony,” Jethro begged.

Tony sighed, climbing onto the bed he took Jethro’s hand into his, “Jethro, I think we should wait a bit longer.”

Now Jethro was getting angry, “Tony, what the hell are you afraid of?”

Tony’s eyes widened at the question, “I’m not afraid,” he tried, but his lover cut him off again.

“You are afraid, Tony. What is it? Talk to me, please.”

He knew that there was no point in trying to deflect any longer, “I’m afraid that if we do this and you hate it, you’ll leave me,” he said in a quiet almost childlike tone.

Jethro crawled over Tony, straddling his lap; there were so many different sides to his lover, he wondered what in his life had led to so much pain and insecurity. The thing about Tony was that one moment he was tough as nails, not letting anyone get to him and the next he was like a child who was afraid he would be abandoned. He laid his forehead against his lovers, “Tony, even if I don’t like it, I’m not going anywhere, but right now I want sex and I want it with you. I’m…I’m in love with you, alright. Not going anywhere,” he punctuated his statement with a possessive demanding kiss.

Tony broke the kiss, “Jethro, you don’t know what it is like to bottom. Why can’t we just stick to what we have been doing; I like what we have been doing,” Tony said as he grabbed Jethro’s dick and began stroking him, slowly.

Jethro moaned, wanting more from Tony but focusing on the issue at hand, “Tony, I want more. I want it all. I want sex…intercourse…the horizontal mambo. I want you to fuck me until I can’t think straight, but most of all I want you to make love to me. And I kind of have been playing around lately.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean ‘playing around,’” he said in a very low, dangerous tone, making the man in his lap shiver. Jethro could feel the controlled anger and strength in his lover; many people thought Tony was nothing but Jethro’s faithful Saint Bernard, but he knew that there was much more to him than that. He decided that he better confess his little side project to Tony, “Calm down Tony, I’ve been playing around alone. I…um…bought some things and have been experimenting with them,” he said as he pointed towards his dresser.

“Let me see, Jethro.”

He could tell that something was still bothering his lover, but he wasn’t sure what it could be; he got up off his lap and went to the drawer that he kept his toys in. He found the things he had bought and brought them over to Tony, he could feel himself flush with embarrassment.

Tony took the offered assortment of sex toys his lover handed him, looking them over there was nothing too drastic in the collection, some butt plugs, a rather impressive dildo, and a few cock rings. Tony noted that the cock rings were the type that would not prevent someone from coming, but just slow it down and they were easily removed. He was stunned that the other man would have purchased such things. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it; on one hand he realized that he had been letting an important part of their relationship be controlled by his fear of losing his lover and on the other, he felt that Jethro should have talked to him about this before he bought all these things.

“How long?” he asked pulling Jethro back into his lap.

“Um…about four or five months,” he said sheepishly.

“That long, huh.” Jethro was so focused on his own embarrassment that he didn’t notice Tony picking up the lube that he had brought over with the toys. Tony had his hands behind Jethro and was slicking up a butt plug; he figured that if Jethro wanted to play, well Tony knew how to play. Once he was satisfied that it was well lubed, he started to kiss his lover distracting him from anything else. He brought the plug towards the other man’s entrance and carefully, but firmly began to push it into him, this caused Jethro to shout out in his surprise, “Tony.”

“That’s my name, baby,” Tony said with a smirk as he continued to push the plug further into the man on his lap. When he had it where he wanted it, he let go and framed Jethro’s face with his hands; forcing the other man to look at him, Tony’s eyes darkening with desire, “Be careful what you wish for, Jethro.”

Tony reached around him and started to tug on the plug in his ass, hitting his prostate as he did. He started to kiss his lover, enjoying the moans coming from him. Tony grabbed one of the cock rings that Jethro had brought over and put it on his lover. He continued to play with the plug trying to hitting his prostate on every move. They continued to kiss, until Tony felt his pants were to constricting; he flipped them so that Jethro was on his back, Jethro began to thrust up against Tony enjoying the feeling of his clothes against his dick. Tony pulled back from him to remove his cloths, but only succeeding in getting his pants off. He decided to try and push his lover over the edge by sucking his dick; he went to put his mouth on him, but stopped, “Don’t thrust up into my mouth or I stop,” he threatened.

Jethro moaned when Tony engulfed him in one movement; he fought to keep from thrusting into his lover’s mouth. Tony began to gently suck on Jethro’s dick while he began to gently push and pull the plug back and forth. He made slow progress, almost driving his lover to tears; when Tony was satisfied that Jethro was ready for more, he removed the first plug and reached for a slightly larger one. He then gently began to push it into his lover. In and out, twisting and stretching him until he was ready for more, all the while he was still gently sucking on his dick, not wanting to push him over, yet. The entire time Tony was fucking him with the plug, Jethro was babbling incoherently. Deciding that he wanted Jethro to come, before he fucked him, he removed the plug slicking up his fingers and finding the other man’s prostate he began to stimulate it by rubbing it until Jethro came with a shout of Tony’s name.

“Please, Tony. I want to feel you inside me.”

Tony nodded, he grabbed a condom and quickly rolled it on, adding more lube to ensure that he did not hurt the other man. He pushed himself gently into his lover’s loosened hole and began shallow thrusts, Jethro moaned loudly at that. He wrapped his legs around Tony trying to bring him in closer.

“Please, Tony…more…yes, right there.”

“This what you want baby?” Tony asked as he nailed the other man’s prostate, enjoying the scream of, “Yes, right there. More…harder…want to feel you later.”

Tony began to thrust harder and faster, keeping a steady rhythm until he was close; wanting to push Jethro over the edge first, he grabbed his lover’s dick and began to stroke him in time with this thrusts.

“Come on baby. Cum for me,” Tony encouraged.

“Tony!” he shouted when he came all over Tony’s hand and his own belly, pulling Tony over with him. Keeping himself from falling on top of him, Tony gently rolled them both over onto their sides while he was still inside his lover. Kissing his, now exhausted, boyfriend, Tony carefully pulled himself free of him. He headed to the bathroom to find a cloth to clean them both up with; once done he climbed into bed pulling Jethro into his arms and spooning behind the man.

Tony was about to tell Jethro that he loved him, when he heard a snore come from him. Kissing him on the back of his head, “Love you, too,” Tony said to the sleeping man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the last chapter of this one for a while, only because I need to get to the same point in Neal and Peter's story. I don't want to give away too much of the plot. I promise to get back to it as soon as I finish Neal and Peter's story.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

“Tony, we can’t stay with you; that might be a bit uncomfortable.”

Tony chuckled, he knew that Neal would object at first, but he would talk him into it, “Neal, I barely stay there. I met someone and have been staying with them. I want you guys to meet him when you come down. I was actually planning on introducing him to Josh on my next visit.”

“Oh…that’s great Tony. I’m really happy for you,” Tony heard the sincerity in Neal’s voice.

“Thanks. When are you coming down?”

“Next week.”

“I’ll get the place set for you. Oh, Neal…um…Jethro doesn’t know anything about our past. I told him that we met in college and got married after I found out you were pregnant. I know I need to tell him everything, but I just…fuck…I don’t want to lose him,” he didn’t want Neal to accidently let something slip before he was ready to tell his lover everything.

“Tony, I get it. If Peter already did know, I probably wouldn’t have told him either. It’s hard.”

“How did he find out, Neal?”

Neal ducked his head in embarrassment, even though the other man could not see him, “He’s the guy that I was…um…well you know, before we ran.”

“Do you really love him, Neal?” he wanted to assure himself that his ex was truly happy.

“Yes, Tony. I even took it slow; I wanted to make certain that I wasn’t following a false memory of love. I’m sorry, Tony.”

“Hey, why are you sorry?”

“I should have told you sooner, but I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do this on my own.”

Tony sighed, as much as he would like to agree with his ex, he knew he had to step aside, “Neal, you have no obligation to tell me anything, unless it affect our son.”

“Tony, you’re still my best friend.”

“I know, Neal. You’re mine, too. Look, I have to go. I’m supposed to have dinner with Jethro tonight. We’ll talk more when you come down, alright.”

“Yeah, I’ll text you when we leave, so you will know when to expect us. Bye.”

“Bye, Neal.”

As soon as Tony hung up he called Jethro to tell him he was on his way.

******

Tony had been bouncing between over excited puppy and worry wort and he was driving his lover crazy. Tony calmed down as soon as the three weary travelers exited their car; it was the most fascinating thing Gibbs had ever seen. Now all comments about Tony’s skill in undercover work from his former supervisors made complete sense to him. Tony went from over excited puppy to a responsible parent in under a second; it was impressive. Since Kate had joined their team, Gibbs had noticed Tony’s work behavior had changed, he had started to goof off more and seemed to enjoy antagonizing the woman in question. He realized that Tony had wanted to distract Kate from his direction, by playing the fool and clown; if Kate was as good of a profiler as she claimed to be, she should have seen right through his lover’s ruse but she bought it hook, line, and sinker.

He was drawn from his musings of his lover, when the man in question began introductions. He pulled Jethro to him, “Jethro, I would like for you to meet my son Joshua DiNozzo and his mother Neal Caffrey and Neal’s boyfriend Peter Burke.”

He nodded, “Pleasure to meet you.”

Tony let him go and wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulder bringing him close and kissing the top of his head, “Dad,” the kid whined.

Tony laughed at his son, “Would you like some cheese with that whine, son.”

Josh just rolled his eyes at his dad, but let himself be pulled into the house to sit on the couch next to Tony. Jethro could tell that Tony was ecstatic to see his son.

“How is school going?” he asked the kid.

The boy looked nervously around, trying to find something to distract his father from asking about school. His father; however, was not deterred, “Joshua, you had better answer me.”

The boy sighed, knowing it was futile to try and distract his father, he gave in, “Not so good. I may have not done my best with all of my classes,” he hedged.

Jethro could see his lover’s eyes narrow at his son, than turn towards the boy’s mother; Jethro was about to step in and stop Tony from doing something he would regret, when Neal spoke up, “I just found out about it right before we left. I wanted to discuss it with you in person since we were coming down anyway. Can we table it until we have time to talk about, please,” the younger man pleaded with his ex.

Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath; composing himself before he opened his eyes, he smiled at Neal, “You’re right. I’m sorry; we’ll discuss it later.”

“Thanks,” Neal said.

Tony just nodded, ruffling his son’s hair and changing the subject. They began to discuss neighborhoods and school locations; what would be the best for all concerned.

“I actually looked into some private schools in the area and I have some information on them. I thought that after you guys picked a house we could look at the different schools.”

Neal nodded in agreement, “I think if we can find one or even a good public school near where we move it would be the best.”

They continued to chat for a while, about various subjects, eventually landing on Peter’s new job.

“So, Peter, what exactly is this job you’re taking?” Tony asked.

“I’m going to be Section Chief for the White Collar division in D.C. It is sort of a sideways promotion. The benefit is I won’t be doing any real field work. Technically, I’ll still be at the same rank as Special Agent-in-Charge, but with a bit of a pay raise and some more responsibility.”

“How long have you been with the FBI?” Gibbs asked, wanting to get a feeling for the other man.

“Almost fifteen years,” Peter replied.

“I’m hungry,” Neal said apropos to nothing.

Peter blinked at him and then nodding, “We should get going and get some dinner and checked into our hotel room.”

“We’ll order something in, stay for dinner,” Gibbs said not wanting Tony to lose any time with his son.

Peter looked to Neal, who just nodded.

“Alright that sounds fine, I’ll pay,” Peter said.

“My suggestion, I’ll pay,” Gibbs retorted.

“I invited them here, I should pay,” Tony said.

Neal just rolled his eyes at the three men. He was rather shocked that Tony had chosen to date someone who was as stubborn as he was; their arguments must be epic. He really hoped it work out for the two of them, but he was hungry and wanted to eat and their alpha posturing was getting old.

“Peter,” Neal said as he touched his fiancé’s hand to get his attention, once successful he continued, “I’m hungry and need to eat.”

Peter looked at his fiancé, “You’re right, sweetheart,” he turned to the other two men, “Neal’s right whatever you two want; as long as it’s not too spicy, is fine.”

“Great, I’ll go order,” Tony said.

As soon as Tony left the room, Peter noticed that Gibbs’ lips did a barely noticeable quirk, before it returned to his, seemingly inscrutable expression.

“You did that on purpose,” Peter said.

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow at him; Peter narrowed his eyes at him, “You got Tony to pay for dinner…you…you.”

Gibbs just shrugged realizing the game was up, “Actually, it was his turn anyway. When we first started to date, he tried to pay for dinner all the time; finally told him that I was just as capable of paying as he was, so now we rotate.”

Tony came back shortly after that; he sat next to his lover giving him a quick kiss on the check.

“Dinner will be ready soon, why don’t you take Peter and Josh with you to pick it up. I already paid for it. So, Neal did you want to tell me about what you learned about Josh and school,” Tony said.

Gibbs could tell that Peter wanted to object, but Neal just nodded in his direction and with silent communication indicating that he should go so he and Tony could talk.

Peter sighed, “Be back shortly, sweetheart.”

Accepting the kiss from him, Neal just smiled at him; waiting until the other three left, Tony asked again, “What’s going on with him, Neal?”

“The school called a few days ago and said that he was having problems with some of the other kids in school. He won’t talk to me about it, because I think it might have something to do with me, but I don’t know.”

“Why the hell didn’t they call me as well? I’m listed, too. Do you think he’ll talk to me?”

“I don’t know, Tony. I hope that changing schools will help. I was also wondering if maybe he could stay here with you, when we go back.”

“Neal, I would love it, but I have work and I don’t know anyone here that I trust to stay with him while I’m at work. Why don’t you and he stay here and let Peter go back. You can stay at my apartment until Peter is ready to move down.”

Neal ducked his head, “Tony, I…I’m pregnant. Peter isn’t going to want me to stay here without him.”

“Wow, Neal…does Josh know yet?”

“Yeah, we told him a few days ago, Peter also asked me to marry him, so I think we are going to do that before we leave New York.”

“Yeah, okay, you staying will not work. How is Josh taking all of this?”

“He seemed happy. He likes Peter and he’s not too unhappy about being a big brother; I just don’t want him to feel pushed away or left out. I never had siblings…I have no idea what it’s like.”

“Yeah neither did I. Look, Neal, I’m happy for you, but I think this is…fuck…never mind,” Tony said just as the door opened and he heard the other three return. They ate dinner over light conversation, but when Neal and Peter were ready to leave, Josh didn’t want to go.

“Dad, can’t I stay with you, please.”

Tony looked at him, torn between wanting to spend time with his son and time with his lover. Jethro solved his dilemma, “Tony, he can use the guest room. I’ll just have to make the bed up for him.”

He looked to his son, “Will that be alright with you, Josh? Or would you be more comfortable going to my place,” Tony asked.

“Here’s fine, dad.”

Tony looked at Neal, “Is that alright with you?”

“Of course, Peter could you help him get his bag from the car?”

“Sure, come on Josh,” Peter said heading to the front door.

Shortly after Peter and Josh returned with his bag, the other two men left for their hotel. Gibbs had changed the sheet and got Josh towels so he could shower. While Josh was preparing for bed, Tony sat on Jethro’s couch wondering what he was going to do now. He needed to find out what was bothering his son and if it had anything to do with Peter, Neal and the new baby. He felt the couch dip next to him, turning his head he looked into his lover’s concerned blue eyes.

“What’s wrong, Tony?”

“Neal’s pregnant and he’s marrying Peter. I’m not sure how Josh is taking it.”

“Ah, so what are you going to do Tony?”

“What can I do, Jethro? I guess the only thing I can do for him is be there if he needs me.”

“Good.”

Just then Josh came down the stairs, dressed for bed; sitting down next to his dad he wanted to cuddle into him, but being thirteen he refrained. His dad; however, pulled him to his side, wrapping one arm around him and the other around Jethro. The three of them sat there until Tony asked, “Want to tell me what’s going on at school, Josh?”

Gibbs noticed the sideways look Josh gave him, not wanting to come between father and son, he extracted himself from Tony and, “I’m going to go work on my boat while you two talk.”

“Jethro, you don’t need to go,” Tony said not wanting to push his boyfriend out of his own living room.

“It’s fine Tony. I have some things to work on anyway,” bending down he gave him a kiss before leaving to his sanctuary.

Tony sighed as he felt his son relax against him, “So, you want to talk to me, buddy?”

“Is…Is he your boyfriend dad?”

“Yeah, is that a problem, son?”

“No, I…he seems nice. Can I ask you something dad?”

“Of course you can, buddy.”

“Did you know that…um…mom was a carrier before he told you about me?”

“Yes,” Tony said, wondering where this was going.

“The school did tests and they said that I’m…I’m a carrier, but what if I don’t want that?”

Tony felt something tighten in his gut at his son’s words; he wanted to know why he was just hearing about his son being tested to see if he was a carrier without his permission. He and Neal had an agreement that both of them had to sign off on any non-emergency medical procedure or test. He would get to the bottom of that later, but first he needed to deal with an over emotional thirteen year old.

“Buddy, if you don’t want to carry a baby, you don’t have too.   No one will make you. If you meet a girl someday, far in the future, and want to marry her that is up to you, alright.”

“I…don’t want to hurt mom and make him feel that what he did is…” he trailed off not sure how to finish.

Tony smiled at his son, “Buddy, your mom and I don’t care if you marry a man or a woman; just marry the person that you fall in love with. I happened to fall in love with two men and under different circumstances it could have been two women. You,” Tony said as he gently poked his son in the chest over his heart, “don’t have to follow in my or your mom’s footsteps. You get to be you, not me and not your mom. Look at Jethro, he had never even kissed a man before I came along; in fact, he was married to three different women. Besides, you are only thirteen you have plenty of time to decide on what you want when you are much, much older.”

“Thanks, dad. Are you going to talk to mom about this?”

“What do you think?”

“That, that was a stupid question, of course, you are going to talk to him about it,” his son smiled at him right before he yawned.

“Bed time, buddy.”

“Yeah, okay. Night, dad,” Josh said around another yawn.

“Night, buddy,” he said as he watched his son go up the stairs.

*****

Tony headed to find Jethro and hope to drag him off to bed. He was worried about his son and the medical tests that were done on him without permission. He would need to speak to Neal about it tomorrow when they came and picked Josh up.

Tony headed down the stairs to find his lover sanding his latest boat project, he still couldn’t solve the problem of how the hell Jethro got the boats out of the basement. He waked up behind him, knowing that the other man was aware of him. Kissing the back of his neck, “Ready for bed?” he asked.

“How was your talk with Josh?”

“He said that the school did some medical tests to see if he was a carrier, but I don’t think that Neal would have authorized it and I damn well know I didn’t. I’ll talk to Neal in the morning and see what is going on. I think some kids are picking on him at school about it, since only one in every four thousand men are carriers, I doubt there is another kid at the school that is also a carrier.”

Jethro turned to look at Tony, seeing the concern in his lover’s eyes he decided to make a suggestion, “Tony, would you want Josh down here until Neal and Peter were ready to move?”

Tony gave him a sad smile, “Neal asked me that, but I don’t see how Jethro. I have work and I don’t know anyone down here that could look after him while I’m at work. I know he is thirteen and probably old enough to stay home for a time by himself, but I’m not ready for that.”

Gibbs looked down at his shoes as he thought; looking up at the other man he asked, “What if I knew someone that could be trusted to look after him and would do it in a heartbeat?”

“Who would that be, Jethro?”

“My father,” Jethro nearly whispered.”

“Your father?”

“Yeah, we haven’t talked in a while, but I know him; if I call and ask he will come down and help out.”

“And why haven’t you talked to him?”

This was the question that Jethro didn’t want to answer, “We are so much alike that it’s hard for us to be in the same room without arguing, but I know my dad and if I ask him and tell him why, he’ll come.”

Tony suspected that there was much more to the story, but he wasn’t going to push the other man if he wasn’t ready to talk about it, so instead he just said, “Alright, baby, if you think he’ll do it, I trust your judgement. Come on let’s get to bed.”

Gibbs followed Tony up to his bedroom; he knew he need to tell Tony everything, but he just wasn’t ready to. After using the bathroom, he climbed into bed and felt Tony wrap him up in his arms, the first time Tony had done this he had wanted to push the other man away, but now he missed it when Tony didn’t stay with him. It made him feel completely loved, the last time he ever felt this loved was when Shannon looked at him, with that thought in his mind he drifted off to sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

“Did you tell Tony?” Peter asked.

Neal knew it was coming, Peter had been too quiet on the ride to the hotel, “Yes, I did.”

“How did he take it?” Peter asked as he motioned for the younger man to join him on the bed.

“Alright, he wanted to know if we had told Josh yet,” Neal said as he made his way over to Peter and slipped between the sheets.

As part of Peter’s new nightly ritual, he pulled Neal’s back to his front and placing his arms around him, he put one hand over Neal’s still flat belly. Neal gave a light chuckle, “You won’t feel anything for some time, Peter.”

“I know, but I like this position. Do you think Tony will be able to find out what is going on with Josh?” Peter asked as he nuzzled his lover’s neck.

“Um…probably, I’ll find out tomorrow. Knowing Tony he probably had him singing like a canary with in two seconds,” Peter moved his hand down Neal’s stomach towards his dick, but Neal grabbed it before it could reach its objective, “Not tonight, Peter. I really am tired,” Neal said around a yawn.      

“Alright, sweetheart. Get some sleep,” Peter said as he gently rubbed Neal’s belly.

Neal drifted off to sleep to the soothing motion on his lover’s hand.

******

Neal awoke to a hard dick nestled between his buttocks and a really bad case of morning sickness. Disentangling himself from Peter, he rushed towards the bathroom to vomit; he really hated morning sickness. He felt a cool washcloth pressed against his neck and a warm hand on his lower back, trying to comfort him. He leaned back when he felt Peter kneel down behind him, “Sorry, I really hate this part.”

“I know, sweetheart. Do you feel like you can make it back to bed?”

“Yeah, could you get me some crackers and ginger ale?” Neal asked his fiancé.

“Yeah, let me get you settled and I’ll go see what I can find,” Peter said as he helped Neal to stand and brush his teeth before he guided him back to the bed; he covered him and kissed his forehead, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Thanks, Peter,” Neal said as he closed his eyes hoping the waves of nausea passed quickly.

Peter grabbed his room key card and headed down to see if he could find crackers and ginger ale for his lover. He found the front desk staffed with a blond woman in her early thirties; as soon as she saw him she smiled, “May I help you, sir?”

“Yes, my fiancé is experiencing…um…morning sickness; do you know where I can find crackers and ginger ale?”

“I’m sorry that he isn’t feeling well, sir. There is a market not far from here that would have everything you need. If you would like, I can send one of our staff to acquire everything you need and deliver and charge it to your room.”

Peter was aware that he would pay a higher price, but he would rather be spending time comforting his lover than spending time shopping, her name tag read ‘Ashley,’ he smiled at her, “Ashley, that would be wonderful. It’s room 214. Thank you.”

“Of course, sir. I will have it sent up as soon as it arrives,” she smiled at him.

He turned and headed back to his and Neal’s room. He entered the room to hear Neal talking to someone, realizing that he was on the phone, he walked over to the other man and sat beside him on the bed.

“Alright…yes, Tony. He just got back…we can be there in about three hours, bye.”

“Everything alright?” Peter questioned.

“I’m not sure, Tony wants to talk to me about Josh. He sounded worried.”

“Well, the hotel is getting the things you asked for, they’ll bring them up soon. Do you want a shower?”

“Yeah, I’ll take one now; I want to find out what is going on with Josh,” he said as he rose from the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

Peter watched him go, wondering if Neal’s ex had found out what was bothering the kid. Peter had tried to talk to him before they left New York, but he wouldn’t say anything about his problems and Peter hadn’t wanted to push him as Josh wasn’t his kid. He was drawn from his thoughts by the knock on their door; opening it he found a younger man with a bag in his hand.

“Sir, here is what you requested,” handing him the bag he smiled at Peter. Peter pulled his wallet out, found some cash offering the kid a tip, taking the offered money, “Thanks, sir. If you need anything else please let the front desk know. Have a good day,” with that he turned and left Peter holding the bag. He closed the door, he turned to find Neal grabbing his clothes to get dressed.

“Neal, here’s your things. I’m going to take a shower; be out in a few.”

“Okay,” Neal said distractedly.

Arriving at Gibbs’ two hours later, the two men knocked on the front door. Tony opened the door; smiling at the other two men, “Come in, breakfast is ready.”

“Thank you,” Peter said, “You didn’t need to do that; we would have taken everyone out since you paid for dinner last night.”

“No big deal,” Tony said with a shrug, “Besides, need to talk to Neal alone and I would prefer to do that in a non-public setting.” Neal was about to ask Tony something but the other man stopped him, “Neal, after breakfast, please. Jethro has some things he needs to get at the hardware store, so he can take Peter and Josh with him while we talk.”

Neal nodded his head, but Peter wasn’t happy about leaving his lover alone with his ex. A heavy silence permeated the table as each person was lost in their own thoughts.

******

After breakfast was finished and the table cleared; Gibbs, Peter, and Josh left to run some errands, and Tony and Neal sat down to discuss the situation with Josh.

“What’s going on, Tony?”

Tony sighed, “Neal, did you know that Josh was tested as a carrier by the school?”

“What?” Neal practically shouted.

Tony winced before continuing, “That’s what he told me last night and he is being teased because he is a carrier.”

“Shit. Tony, you know I would never have allowed that, not without your knowledge. Why the hell would the school test him anyway? It’s not even their business. Why didn’t he tell me?”

Tony looked down at his shoes, before he looked at Neal to answer, “He didn’t want you to feel that he was ashamed of you.”

“Why would he think that?”

“Because he doesn’t want to be a carrier, Neal. He doesn’t think anything is wrong with it, but I think he is terrified of it at the same time. It’s so rare that having two in one family is highly unlikely.”

“I know. I want to know why he was tested, Tony.”

Tony moved closer to Neal; grabbing the other man’s hand, he squeezed it, “So do I, Neal. Look, I know that I said I couldn’t keep him here, but I spoke to Jethro about it and he offered to contact his father. He said that he would probably be willing to help out for a time until you moved down here. I can’t let him go back to that school, Neal. I have to protect him.”

“I know, Tony. You always promised that you would protect us and I have always believed you. I trust your judgement, Tony. If you trust Jethro’s, I’ll agree to it.”

“Neal, one other thing; I want you to talk to Peter and see if there is any way for him to investigate what happened. I was going to call the school and raise hell, but I think they may try to hide whatever happened if I do. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Neal nodded in agreement, “I’ll talk to him. I would like to meet Jethro’s father, Tony.”

“I’ll have him call him tonight. See if we can set-up something before you leave.”

“Thanks,” Neal said around a yawn.

Tony smiled at him, “Why don’t I show up to the guest room and you can take a nap.”

Neal gave him a sheepish smile, “Sorry, I don’t remember being this tired with Josh so early.”

Leading him up the stairs, Tony said, “Yes you were. We were just too busy for you to notice it back then.”

Neal just grinned at him as he was shown the guest room.

Neal was still asleep when the three wanderers returned from their foraging for hardware supplies. Tony had just smiled at them, noticing that Peter was looking around the room, he said, “He’s upstairs taking a nap.”

“Oh,” Peter said as he made his way towards the stairs, but was stopped by Tony.

“Peter, can we talk?”

Peter just nodded; wondering what the other man wanted to discuss he followed him over to the couch, while Josh and Jethro headed down to the basement with the purchases.

“Peter, I…I’m going to be straight with you. I care a great deal about Neal,” Peter narrowed his eyes at the other man, “Before you get mad, I’m not saying I’m in love with him anymore. He just is important to me and I don’t want to see him hurt, but you also need to know that…Did Neal tell you much about after Josh was born?”

Peter looked at him and raised an eyebrow, “Some.”

“Okay, I’m not trying to interfere with your lives, but you need to know that Neal suffered from post-partum depression after Josh was born. I would come home from work or school to find Neal on the couch crying his eyes out and the baby in his playpen screaming his head off. I would spend an hour just calming them both down. I ended up quitting my job so that I could be there more for both of them.” Tony could see the anger arising in Peter’s eyes, but he continued anyway, “I know that Neal never physically hurt Josh, but he wasn’t the same Neal that you see today. I messed up and didn’t get him therapy soon enough; I don’t want you to make that same mistake. He is in a much better place right now than he was back then, but don’t think it can’t happen,” Tony said as he rose from the couch; giving Peter’s shoulder a squeeze, “I don’t want to see either of you get hurt. Why don’t you go lie down with him, it will make both of you feel better.”

Peter stared after the man in stunned silence, not certain how to react to what was said. He had expected a form of _the shovel talk_ , but to have his fiancé’s ex-husband care enough to try and protect them both; maybe Tony DiNozzo wasn’t such a bad guy after all. He rose from the couch and headed to find Neal, hoping to get some cuddle time in. Finding him in a bedroom curled up on his side he climbed in next to him and wrapped around the younger man.

“Mm mm, Peter.”

“Hey, sweetheart, sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. Tony was right, I needed some sleep. How was your shopping trip?”

“Fine, how did your talk with Tony go?”

“Good, sorted out Josh,” Neal said as he rolled over to face his lover, “Peter, the school tested to see if Josh was a carrier without Tony or my permission. In fact, on something this big, both of us would have had to sign off on it; that was our agreement when we split. He wanted you to see if there was any way for you to investigate the school. He wants to raise hell, like I do, but he is concerned that they will bury the information or try to destroy it. We discussed it and Josh will stay here with Tony and Jethro, until we can move down here.”

Peter was shocked by the news that Josh’s school would have done something like that, “Neal, I’ll see what I can do. I…never mind.”

“Peter, you have something to say, say it,” Neal said.

The other man sighed, “I was worried that Tony would…I don’t know…he seems so intense and it made me…” he trailed off, unsure how to finish his statement.

Neal smiled at him, loving how protective Peter was, but trying not to show it, “Peter, Tony would never hurt me or Josh. Tony never once laid a finger on me if I didn’t want it. Hell, he would wait for me to initiate sex, before he did anything. Tony is intense, he had to be, but he will protect those he thinks of as family. I’m guessing he had a chat with you…”

Peter winced, not certain if he should tell Neal or not, but decided that it was better to be open with him, “Yes, he wanted to warn me about your depression that you had after Josh.”

“Ah, good.”

“Good?” Peter questioned.

“Yeah, you know some of my issues with depression, but I don’t know how I’ll react this time around. I should have told you myself, but I only remember that I was always tired or always crying and barely ate at times. Besides, this means I get to tell Jethro about Tony’s tendency for self-sacrifice.”

Peter just chuckled at him.

“Come on, let’s see what they are up to,” Neal said.

“Alright. Neal,” Peter trailed off.

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” Peter said as he pulled his lover close to him and kissed him.

“Love you, too,” Neal said as they pulled apart.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> It's a bit sappy in parts, at least I think it is.

Gibbs had been trying to find a way to call his dad without an audience for the entire weekend; finally, on Monday morning with no new case and his presence not required in MTAC he left his desk and headed towards the elevator, “Going for coffee.”

Tony lifted his head from the file he had been reading since he came into work, “Um…sure boss.”

Gibbs entered his favorite coffee shop; Suzanne, the barista, handed him his usual extra-large coffee, after he paid for it he headed towards the back of the shop to his favorite table so he could make his phone call.

Dialing the number from memory, he waited for his father to answer, “Hello?”

Jethro swallowed nervously, before answering, “Dad.”

“Leroy, is that you son?”

“Yeah, dad it’s me.”

“What’s wrong, son?”

“Dad, I need your help.”

“Alright, Leroy, tell me what you need my help with.”

“I…I met someone.”

“Well, son that’s wonderful. What’s her name?” Jackson Gibbs said with enthusiasm.

“Um…well, his name is Tony.”

“Oh, well that…that’s wonderful son. Do you love him?”

“Yeah, I do, dad.”

“Well, then son that is all that matters to me.”

“Thanks, dad. Look, Tony has a son from his a previous relationship and…well…Tony’s ex and new boyfriend will be moving to the area soon, but right now…um…we are going to keep, Josh, until Neal can get down here.”

“Son, who are Josh and Neal?”

Gibbs took a deep breath, “Josh is Tony’s son. Neal is Tony’s ex-husband.”

“Ah, I see…so is one of them a carrier.”

“Yeah, actually Neal is. The thing is, Josh is having problems at his school in New York, so we are going to keep him here until Neal and his fiancé, Peter can move to the area.”

“Alright, son, let me get this straight; you met a man named Tony, who has a son from a previous marriage. That son is having problems in school and his other parent, Neal, wants to have him move down with you two until he can move there. This Neal is also engaged to a man named Peter; am I getting this right?”

“Yeah, dad.”

“So what do you need my help with Leroy?”

“Tony is on my team, dad.”

“Ah, now I’m starting see the picture, son. You want me to keep an eye on the boy while you two are at work,” talking to Leroy had always been hard; the boy just wouldn’t talk unless prompted and even then it was like pulling teeth. He would be in his grave by the time he finished the conversation, if he let Leroy direct it.

“Yeah, look dad, he’ll be in school most of the day. You will only have to be there when he gets home from school and if we catch a big case that makes us work late.”

“Son, does Tony know about Shannon and Kelly?”

“No…I haven’t told him yet. I don’t know how, dad.”

“I understand, Leroy. Do you really love this young man?”

Even though Jackson couldn’t see it, he could hear the smile in Leroy’s voice, “Yeah, I really do, dad.”

“That’s all I needed to know, I’ll help.”

“Thanks dad. Look,” Gibbs said, looking at his watch, “I need to get back to work, but I’ll call you tonight and set-up all the details with you.”

“Sure, Leroy. I have a customer who just walked in anyway. I’ll talk to you later, son. And son,” Jackson said, waiting for acknowledgment.

“Yeah, dad?” Gibbs asked.

“I’m glad you called me.”

Gibbs fought the lump in his throat, “Yeah, so am I, dad. Bye.”

“Bye, son.”

******

Gibbs exited the elevator to see DiNozzo searching Kate’s desk; his hand itched to slap the back of his head, but he refrained remembering Tony’s conversation regarding head slaps.

“DiNozzo,” he snapped.”

“Yes, boss,” he said as he turned to face the other man.

“What are you doing snooping in Kate’s desk?”

Tony blinked at him in confusion, “I wasn’t snooping, boss. I was leaving Kate a message from personnel.”

“Why would personnel call you to leave a message for Kate?”

“Because, she hadn’t responded to their previous messages and Marcie knows me, so she called to give me a message for Kate. She thought that Kate wasn’t getting her previous messages. See,” he said holding up the piece of paper with the message on it.

“Rule six, DiNozzo.”

“Yeah, didn’t think I would get one, boss,” Tony said as he headed back to his desk. He returned to the notes on the cold case he had been working on; rereading them again he was certain that he found a lead, but he needed to have Abby go back over the evidence to make certain. He picked up his phone and called down to her lab, “Abby’s Lab,” the energetic Goth said.

“Hey, Abbs.”

“Tony baloney, what can I do for you today?” she asked.

He rolled his eyes at her antics, “Do you have time to go over some evidence from a cold case for me today?”

“I would love to Tony, but I have a pile of evidence from two active cases in the lab right now. I can look at it tomorrow for you, unless you think it’s urgent.”

“No, not urgent. I just have a hunch about it. Tomorrow is soon enough; I’ll email you all the information on the case evidence. Thanks, Abbs.”

“No problem, Tony baloney,” she said cheerfully.

He just shook his head and smiled as he returned his handset to the cradle.

“Got a lead, DiNozzo?”

“Not sure yet, boss. I want Abby to review the evidence before I make any more moves. She didn’t do the original forensics test, so I thought I would have her look for me.”

Gibbs just grunted at him returning to his own paper work. Since his case was stalled, he decided to bring up his monthly reports he needed to finish on before he got embroiled in an active case. He spent the next few hours before lunch working on paper work; not noticing what time it was until Gibbs dropped a brown bag on his desk, with the command, “Eat,” he looked at his watch and deciding that he was actually hungry he opened the bag to find a sandwich from his favorite deli. He looked towards Gibbs and saw a slight twitch of his lips into a smile before it disappeared.

Kate came in to work, just as Tony was finishing his lunch. Giving her a smile, “How did your appointment go, Kate?”

She just scowled at him; sitting at her desk she noticed the note Tony had left for her. “You answered my phone?”

He looked at her with wide eyed innocents, “No, actually Marcie with HR called me since you hadn’t responded to her about her request.”

“Why would she call you?”

“Because she likes me,” he said returning to his computer.

“You must not have dated her yet,” she retorted.

Tony kept his temper, “Nope, just helped her move some furniture around her apartment.”

“Trying to get in her bed with good deeds, Tony?”

Tony just winked at her, returning to his files. Sometime later, Tony looked up from his file; he had read the same damn line five times, he needed a break. Standing he stretched his back to work the kinks out; glancing at his watch and realizing that it was quitting time, he looked to his bosses desk; finding the man in question at his desk, he said, “Boss…um…I came in early today and I’m caught up on all my paper work; since we don’t have a case, can I go?”

Glancing at his own watch, Gibbs checked the time, “Go, get out of here.”

“Thanks, boss,” Tony said as he started to pack-up for the night; giving Kate a smile as he passed her desk, “See you tomorrow, Kate,” he left toward the elevator, the last thing he heard before the doors closed was Gibbs asking Kate if she finished her paper work.

Tony headed home to pick-up some extra clothes and his portable DVD player. He figured if he son was going to be staying with them he would get a television that was actually from this century to put at Jethro’s. He was excited about having Josh with him for a while; he missed doing things with him on a regular basis and wanted to be a full-time dad again. After collecting his things from his apartment, he went to his favorite Italian restaurant to get dinner to go. He would have to resume his cooking habits with Josh living with him; he didn’t want his son living on take-out every night.

He pulled into Jethro’s driveway almost three hours after he left work; his lover’s truck was in the driveway already. Unloading his car he headed into the house to find the other man; he entered the house to hear him talking to someone. Heading towards the kitchen he could hear part of the conversation, but decided to just put the food on the dining room table and head upstairs to put his things way. He didn’t want to intrude on Jethro’s privacy.

Returning to the room a few minutes later he found Jethro already separating the food. He walked over to him, pulling him into a kiss; pulling back he said, “Hi, baby.”

“Hi,” Gibbs said rolling his eyes at the other man.

“Josh is staying with Neal and Peter tonight,” he said while he lowered his hands to Jethro’s ass.

“Tony, we need to talk.”

Letting the other man go, he sighed, “Alright, let’s eat. We can talk after dinner.”

Dinner was silent, but once they were done and everything put away, Tony dragged Jethro upstairs to the bedroom so they could talk in comfort.

“What do you want to talk about, Jethro?”

“I called my dad today.”

“And?” Tony prompted when his lover was silent for too long.

“And, he agreed to come and talk to you and Neal. He wants to meet Josh.”

“Jethro, what is really bothering you? Did your dad say anything about us being together?”

“No, he was fine with it, but Tony there is somethings I need to tell you.”

“Jethro,” Tony said, taking the other man’s hand, “When you are ready to tell me, tell me. Until then, I don’t need to know.”

Jethro took a deep breath, he rose from the bed and went to his dresser. With his back to Tony, the other man was unable to see what he was doing; he took the picture out of the drawer and keeping it close to his heart he returned to his lover. He handed the picture to Tony without a word; knowing the other man would have questions he sat down beside him.

Tony looked at the picture of the beautiful redheaded woman and strawberry blond girl. He closed his eyes aware that what he was about to hear would probably break his heart.

“Jethro, is this your wife and daughter?”

“Yeah, that was Shannon,” he pointed to the woman, “And that was Kelly; she was eight when I took it right before I was deployed to the gulf. They were killed in February 1991, when the NIS agent that was protecting them was killed by a drug dealer trying to stop Shannon from testifying,” he trailed off.

When Tony looked him in the eyes, it was not what he expected to see; his lover’s eyes were cold and hard, not warm and caring.

“You got the bastard, because if you didn’t…” he trailed off.

“I got him, Tony,” surprised at Tony vehemence.

“Good,” he said looking back down at the picture. When Tony looked back at Jethro, his eyes had returned to the warmth that Jethro was used to. Gibbs had always thought of himself as a dangerous man, after all he was a trained Marine Sniper; he was trained to kill, but when he saw Tony’s eyes, it sent a chill up his spine, he never wanted to experience Tony’s wrath.

“I’m honored that you told me about them, Jethro. What happened to them and you should never have happened. This,” he pointed to the picture, “Is why I got into law enforcement in the first place. To give the victims a voice when they couldn’t speak for themselves anymore. I will always hold them in my heart, as I hold you in my heart,” he finished. He pulled the other man close and gently kissed him. Handing his lover the picture back; Tony rose from the bed, “I’m going to go use the head and then we can get some sleep. You look beat, baby.”

Gibbs carefully placed the picture on the night stand and slid in between the sheets; he rolled to his side so he could see the picture of his beloved wife and daughter. He felt the bed dip and Tony move closer to him; pulling him into his arms, Tony whispered to him, “I’m glad you aren’t hiding them in a drawer anymore; they’re too beautiful to be hidden away. Night, I love you, Jethro.”

“Night, Tony,” he said as he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to pull him under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those not aware of it Gibbs' Rule #6: Never say you're sorry. I figured that Gibbs might not be able to say he was sorry, but he could at least buy Tony lunch as an apology.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Jackson Gibbs arrived three days after Jethro told Tony about Shannon and Kelly. Tony and Gibbs arrived home later than normal that night; the lead that Tony had discovered, panned out. They had spent three days trying to track the suspect down on a case that was several year’s cold, finally finding him living in Delaware. Getting a confession out of him had taken Gibbs only ten minutes; well, all his boss did was stare at the suspect until he broke.

They entered Gibbs’ to the smell of food cooking and the sound of laughter. After securing their weapons in Jethro’s lock-box they headed in to find the source of the wonderful smells. Finding Neal and Jackson at the stove cooking made Tony smile. He had spoken to Jackson Gibbs over the phone several times and had given the man Neal’s number so they could communicate as well.

“Dad,” his lover said.

“Ah, Leroy, you’re home. Good, dinner is almost ready. You must be Tony,” he said holding his hand out for him to shake.

Shaking it, Tony replied, “Yes, sir.”

Jackson Gibbs rolled his eyes at the young man, “Now, son call me Jack, please.”

“Alright, Jack. Neal, Peter. Where’s Josh?”

“Up in the guest room,” Neal said.

“I’ll be back. Just want to say hi.”

They nodded as Tony left to find his son; knocking on his son’s door, he waited until he was giving permission to enter.

“Dad, you’re home,” Josh said with some excitement.

“Yeah, buddy. Are you coming down for dinner?”

“Not really hungry,” he said, looking down at his shoes.

“Joshua, talk,” he said knowing that something was up with his son.

His son sighed aware that his father would not let it go, “Does mom not want me around anymore,” he said in a near whisper.

“Shit,” Tony said under his breath; he couldn’t address the issue on his own, he needed to have Neal, Peter, and Jethro involved in this conversation. “Josh, come on let’s go downstairs.”

His son just nodded and followed him down to the dining room. Pointing to a chair at the table, “Sit,” Tony said; leaving his son to find his ex in the kitchen.

“Neal, we need to talk to Josh, now.”

“What’s wrong, Tony?”

Tony swallowed around the lump in his throat; this was one of his worst nightmares for his son; he had never wanted him to feel that his parents were abandoning him for others. He looked at the other three men and knowing that he needed to make his son feel loved, he signaled for them to follow as well.

Sitting next to his son, Tony signaled for Neal to take the seat on Josh’s other side.

Taking a deep breath before he began, “Joshua, I want you to look at me, son,” when his son looked at him he continued, “All of us,” Tony said, pointing to the group of men around the table, “Talked about having you move down here to be with me, until Peter and your mom can make the move. Your mother is not trying to get rid of you, buddy. He loves you,” Tony could hear soft curses being said by the other men in the room. When Tony looked from Josh to Neal, he saw devastation in the other man’s eyes.

“Josh, we decided that it would be best for you to move here with me, because of the tests the school did. I did not authorize them and neither did your mother. I will not let you return there; I can’t trust the school to keep you safe.”

Josh looked at his father and then his mother in confusion, “But, he said that…he showed me the paper you and mom signed authorizing the tests as part of a new state testing program.”

Tony first looked at Neal, then turned to face Peter and Jethro, both of which were already making phone calls. For once, Tony decided that he could trust others to take charge of a situation; he needed to deal with his son.

“Buddy,” he said gently, “Exactly who told you this and what did he do to you?”

“The doctor in the school health office. He tested all of the students; he took blood and then a few weeks later he called me back into his office. He gave me a shot and wanted to give me an exam, but I told him no. I wanted to talk to you first, then some of the other kids started to make comments on me being a carrier.”

Tony was trying to keep his calm; he asked, “Josh, what did he tell you when he brought you back in to his office?”

“That I was identified as a carrier and that I needed a vitamin shot because I was anemic. That was all he said.”

“Neal why don’t you take Josh in the other room while I talk to Peter and Jethro. Jack could you get them some of that dinner you guys made.”

“Tony, I’m not hungry,” Neal tried to protest, but one raised eyebrow from his ex-husband had him just nodding his head.

“Neal, buddy, I know you don’t want to eat, but I know if you don’t you will feel sick in the morning and Peter would not be very happy with you if you ignore your health right now.”

Looking at his fiancé, who was still on the phone, Neal acquiesced, raising from his seat he tugged his son into the other room. Jackson followed soon after bring two bowls of the stew that he and Neal had been working on.

“Here, if you want, I’ll sit with the boy why you go see what those three are up to.”

Neal blinked at the older man, “Thanks, but I don’t think that Tony wants me in there right now.”

Jackson narrowed his eyes at him, “You’re the mother of this boy, right?”

“Yes,” Neal replied.

“Then you have every right to know what they are up to.”

Neal just smiled at the older man; he kissed the top of his son’s head and left to find the others. He walked into the dining room just as Peter ended his phone call. Gibbs was already off the phone and whispering to Tony. Neal approached Peter, not shocked when his fiancé gave him a hug.

“I called my boss and explained the situation to him. He is looking into what actions can be taken, but you and Tony may have to file a complaint with the local police department. Since his school is in Manhattan you could file the complaint with the Manhattan SVU. As soon as those two are done talking we can make a game plan.”

Neal watched the other two men; he couldn’t remember the last time Tony was this angry, he just hoped that Gibbs would calm him down. The two men had their foreheads pressed together having a hushed conversation.

“Tony, you need to calm down. You’re shaking,” Jethro said, stroking the back of Tony’s head.

“Who were you talking to?” Tony asked.

Pulling him closer, he knew Tony might get mad at him for this, “Ducky.”

“Why?”

“Tony, he’s going to be able to tell you what tests they would have done on Josh and what that shot might have been for. Rule three, DiNozzo.”

“Thanks, boss. You’re right and I actually trust Ducky. You know that this means coming out to him as well,” Tony said as he smiled at his lover.

Jethro just groaned, but decided it was worth it, if it would help Tony. He pulled away from the other man; he loved Tony, but he wasn’t as comfortable with the public displays of affection as the other man was. Turning around he saw Neal had joined them and he was cuddling with Peter; Neal was completely comfortable with Peter wrapped around him.

“Did you eat?” Tony asked Neal.

Neal rolled his eyes at his ex, “Yes, Tony, I ate.”

“Sorry, old habits and all that,” Tony said sheepishly.

“Old habits?” Peter questioned.

“Yeah,” Tony said, rubbing the back of his neck, “Neal had a bad habit of not eating when he was stressed and I have the habit of reminding him to eat. Sorry, not my job anymore.”

“No, Tony, you were right about reminding me to eat. I would have skipped it and then tomorrow been sick because I didn’t eat. I was just being,” Neal said, but Tony interrupted him, “Just being bitchy,” Tony grinned as he said it.

The grin slid from his face when he saw the look on Neal’s face; quickly correcting himself, “I meant stubborn; you were being stubborn.”

“Better. Don’t forget what I did to you last time you called me bitchy.”

Tony swallowed loudly, covering his privates with his hands, “Yeah, I remember. Sorry, won’t happen again.”

Neal just nodded and headed out of the room towards the downstairs bathroom.

Peter looked at Tony and raised an eyebrow at him, “Do I want to know what he did to you?”

Tony shook his head, “No, you don’t. Just don’t call him bitchy, ever.”

Gibbs had new respect for Neal; he turned to his lover and smirked at him, he was going to make a comment, but was interrupted by a knock on a door.

He went to answer the door and found Ducky on his front porch. Nodding to the man, he stepped aside to let him enter.

“What was so urgent, Jethro?”

“Thanks for coming Duck,” he said showing him into the dining room. If the man was surprised to see so many people in Gibbs’ house he didn’t show it.

“Anthony,” Ducky greeted.

“Ducky,” Tony replied.

“Duck, we need your help.”

“Yes, Jethro, you said that over the phone; however, you did not say what services you require of me.”

“Ducky, it…look, I guess introductions are in order. This is Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke. Neal is my ex-husband and the boy in the living room is our son, Joshua,” Tony said.

This time Ducky didn’t hide his shock, “That is not what I would have expected. Forgive me, Anthony, but I would not have pegged you as…” Ducky trialed off.

“It’s alright, Ducky. I meant for you to think of me as a clown; I also didn’t want anyone at work to know about them, I have had problems in the past with work and finding out about Neal and Josh.”

“There is something else, Duck.”

“What would that be, Jethro?”

Gibbs took a deep breath, “That would be that Tony and I are together.”

Ducky just blinked at them, turning his head between the two men, eyes wide behind his glasses; it was comical, it reminded Tony of an owl. Tony cleared his throat to bring Ducky’s attention back to the issue at hand.

“Forgive me gentlemen, I am just surprised that…I was not aware that either of you, how do they say it, ‘swung that way.’”

“Only Tony, Duck.”

“Ah, I see. Very well, what may I be of help with gentlemen?”

Tony started, “What do you know of carriers, Ducky?”

“Well, my dear boy, quite a lot actually,” Ducky stopped talking when Tony held up his hand.

“Sorry, normally I would love to sit and listen to your stories, Ducky, but we need your help. Josh was tested at school a few weeks ago. He was told that we approved it, but neither Neal nor I did. He was told that he was a carrier just last week and the doctor gave him a shot. What we need to know is what the blood tests would have entailed and what could have been in the shot he was given.”

“Of course, well as for the test it would have been a simple blood test to see if he had the markers for a carrier. If they chose a more detailed full DNA work-up they would be able to determine more detailed information, such as genetic disease susceptibility. As for the shot, what was he told it was?”

“Vitamin shot. Said he was anemic.”

“Highly unlikely. I could run some test, but it probably was a shot to stimulate puberty and fertility. How old is he?”

“Thirteen,” Tony said through gritted teeth.

“Yes, it probably was a hormone shot. They are sometimes used to replace missing hormones, but in this case it was probably done with the intent to stimulate.”

“What are the long term effects of the shot?” Neal asked.

“Well, if it was just the one, probably nothing. He would need to have them on a regular basis for them to have any long term effects.”

“Thanks Ducky. I…can I ask you a favor?” Tony asked.

“Of course, my dear boy.”

“Can you not tell anyone about Josh and Neal? I figure it’s a given that you wouldn’t mention Jethro and me.”

“I,” seeing the look of desperation in Tony’s eyes, Ducky continued, “I would never mention them unless you spoke of them first.”

Tony closed his eyes briefly before opening them again and smiling at the older man, “Thanks, Ducky.”

It was late by the time the group broke up and headed to their respective beds for the night. Josh had returned to the hotel with Neal and Peter, and Jackson was asleep in the guest room. Jethro and Tony retired to their room; Tony was exhausted, but knew he would have an even longer day ahead of him tomorrow. He had yet to decide what his plan of action would be. He wanted to press charges against the doctor; his big concern was why this was done in the first place. Why would someone want to know if his kid was a carrier or was this directed at all the kids? Josh had said they tested all of them, but that perhaps was a ruse to hide the true intent. To what purpose would finding kids that were carriers be; he was afraid that this might be Adler coming back into their lives, but he didn’t have any proof of it. He did not want to bring it up to Neal until he had hard proof; he didn’t want to add to Neal’s stress at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gibbs' Rule #3: Never believe what you are told. Double check.
> 
> So for anyone wondering, there are two rule #3's. This one fit my purpose for this chapter. I thought I would start adding a rule that was appropriate for the situation into each chapter (if I could). Gibbs will only say the rule # in the story, but I'll put what is it in the end notes of each chapter. 
> 
> I think I left everyone with more questions and very few answers. 
> 
> I know that I changed character perspective quite a lot in this chapter, if it was at all confusion please let me know, because it makes complete sense in my head, but hey that is my head and what ever comes out of it makes complete sense to me.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> There are parts of this chapter I really love and parts I'm not sure about.

Tony was in his car headed to New York. He had left after Neal and Peter, because he had to deal with asking for time off from work before he could leave. Gibbs had put up the show of being pissed that he was asking for emergency leave, but he was just unhappy that he could not accompany Tony on the trip. It had been decided that Josh would return with Neal and Peter, so that he could be there in case he was needed for when Tony and Neal filed the complaint. Peter had spoken to his boss, Reese Hughes, and until they had a federal case to pursue, they would leave it in the hands of the locals.

Several hours after Tony left D.C., he pulled up to the station house where the Manhattan Special Victims Unit was housed. Peter and Neal were already there waiting for him, Josh was still sitting in the car looking terrified. Tony approached the car, opening the door and encountering his son’s terrified blue eyes, crouching down next to the car he put his hand on his son’s knee and smiled at him, “Come on, Josh, I know you don’t want to do this, but it has to be done.”

The boy just nodded his head and allowed his dad to pull him from the car wrapping his arm around his shoulder. Immediately, upon entering the SVU squad room, a blond woman approached them, “Detective Samantha Murphy, may I help you?”

Tony extended his hand, “Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS. This is my son, Joshua DiNozzo and my ex-husband Neal Caffrey.”

Detective Murphy looked towards Peter, he extended his hand to shake hers, introduction himself, “Special Agent-in-Charge Peter Burke, Manhattan White Collar Division, FBI.”

“What may I help you with, gentlemen?”

Tony gave her his most charming smile, “We wish to file a complaint against the doctor at Josh’s school.”

Hearing this, she led the four of them into an interview room, “Alright, tell me the situation, please.”

They explained the situation to her; she stopped them and ask questions periodically, but for the most part she let them explain without interruption. When they had finished explaining to her, she smiled, “Alright, we can bring him in for questioning. I would recommend that you ask for his complete student file, as his parents they can’t deny you that. The records might offer some more information.”

“After you pick him up,” Tony said.

“Of course,” the detective replied.

The four left the station after Josh officially gave his statement and Tony and Neal signed all the paperwork required. They ended up back at June’s house waiting to hear any news. The call didn’t come for two days, but when it did the detective asked that Tony and Neal come speak with the Assistant District Attorney. They arrived to find the detective looking grim and unsettled. After being show into a conference room and introductions were made, ADA Marshall began.

“Doctor Matthews has admitted to illegally testing all the students at your son’s school. He also has admitted to injecting your son with a growth hormone, but not the name of it or to what his intent was. He is willing to explain, but he wants full immunity.”

“No,” Tony and Neal said together.

Mister Marshall smiled at them, “Normally, I would agree, but Matthews claims that he has knowledge of a group engaging in human trafficking. We have heard rumors of it for several years now, but no solid leads or evidence has presented itself. If we do this deal, Doctor Matthews will lose his medical license and he will be placed on the sex offender’s registry. I won’t let him be near kids again, but he will probably be a free man. Of course, this is all dependent on a judge approving the agreement.”

“Yeah, I know,” Tony said. Taking a deep breath and squeezing the hand Neal had slipped into his, “We don’t like it, but if this will end a larger problem we won’t be a problem. I want to be kept in the loop, Mister Marshall.”

“Of course, Agent DiNozzo. Thank you for your time.”

As soon as Tony and Neal left, Marshall turned to Murphy, “Alright, I’m going to get started on the immunity deal; it’ll probably take a few days to get everything together. Once it’s done we can interview Matthews and hope the deal was worth it.”

“Did the D.A. agree to this?”

“Of course, he did,” Marshall smiled at her, “It’s an election year.”

Murphy just shook her head and left.

********

Tony was still in New York a week later waiting to hear about any movement on the case. He had spoken to Gibbs and was still on personal leave for at least another week, but after that he would either have to take vacation time or return to work. June had been gracious enough to allow him to stay in one of her guest rooms. Tony had just sat down for breakfast when his phone rang.

“DiNozzo.”

“Hello, Agent DiNozzo, this is A.D.A. Marshall. I was hoping that I could speak with you and your ex-husband about the case against Doctor Matthews. Could you be in my office in three hours?”

“Yes, we’ll be there,” Tony said, finally hopeful that he might get some answers.

Neal and Peter had just entered the room when Tony was putting his phone away. Looking at the other two men, Tony said, “That was Marshall, he wants us down at his office in three hours. Wants to talk to us about Matthews. Can Mozzie come stay with Josh?”

Neal just nodded his head as he pulled his own phone out and called his friend, “Hey, Moz. I need a favor.”

“No, nothing like that Moz,” rolling his eyes at his friend’s antics, “I need you to stay with Josh for the afternoon.”

“Alright, see you soon, bye.”

Neal put his phone away still shaking his head.

“What did Moz say this time?” Peter asked.

Neal had waited until Peter was taking a sip of his coffee to answer, “Wanted to know if I needed any help getting rid of your body.”

Peter spewed coffee all over himself, “Dammit, Neal; now I have to go change my shirt and tie, and I like this tie.”

Neal just patted him on the back, “I know, but I hate that tie and it was either, get you to spill coffee on it or cut it with the scissors, which I might still do.”

“Neal, this is my lucky tie,” Peter whined at him.

Neal sighed, “Fine. Take it off and I’ll get it cleaned,” a thought occurred to him, “How about this, I’ll get it cleaned and then take and sew a bit of the tie into each of your suit jackets, that way no matter what you wear you will always have your lucky tie,” he smiled at his fiancé.

“But then no one would see it,” Peter said.

“Trust me, Peter, that would be a good thing. Now go get changed, otherwise, you will be late for work,” kissing the other man on the cheek he pushed him out the door.

As soon as Peter left the room and was out of hearing range, Tony started to laugh; he laughed so hard he had to wipe the tears away. Once he settled, Tony realized that the conversation was familiar to him, “Wait a minute; we had a similar conversation about my favorite pair of jeans and my lucky boxers.”

“Did we, I don’t recall,” Neal said looking as innocent as he could.

“Yes, we did. In fact, you told me that the washing machine ate my boxers and someone stole my pants,” Tony said with narrowed eyes.

“Really, I’m sure I wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t true.”

“Neal,” Tony said.

Neal rolled his eyes at his ex, “Fine. Tony those pants had holes everywhere, even in the butt and crotch. As for the boxers, they were a disaster. The elastic was shot in the waistband and it looked like moths had eaten them, they were that holey.”

“What did you do with them, Neal?”

“I did the same thing that I’m going to do with Peter’s tie. I cut them up and sewed a bit of each into your other cloths, including your nice wool coat that Josh and I bought you for that Christmas,” Neal smiled at him unrepentantly.

“You, Neal Caffrey, are one devious man.”

“Yes, yes I am,” Neal said, as he finished his tea with a smug look.

“Yes you are what, Neal?” Peter asked as he reentered the room.

“Devious,” Tony answered.

“What did he do now?”

“Stole my pants and boxers,” Tony said.

It was a good thing that Peter didn’t have any more coffee, because he would have been changing again, “He what?!” he almost shouted.

Tony quickly replaying the conversation in his head, realized how what he said could be taken, “Oh, sorry. It was a long time ago, when we were still married.”

“Good and your pants and boxers better stay where they are, on you.”

Tony just rolled his eyes at the other man, “Calm down, man. I have no desire to take anything off for Neal. The only one I’m doing that for is Jethro.”

“Peter, you better get going or you will be late for work,” Neal said.

“Alright, if you need me, call,” Peter said, kissing Neal goodbye.

Several hours later Tony and Neal were waiting for A.D.A Marshall, Detective Murphy was already in the room with them. She seemed nervous, but Tony wasn’t sure as to why, yet. Marshall came in with another man that Tony immediately pegged as a fed.

“Agent DiNozzo, Mister Caffrey, thank you for coming in. This is Special Agent-in-Charge David Peterson with the FBI’s Human Trafficking Task Force.”

The man nodded in thanks to Marshall and began speaking, “As A.D.A. Marshall said, I’m with the FBI’s Human Trafficking Task Force. I want to thank you two for bringing Doctor Matthews to our attention. There appears to be more involved than just a simple case of one man targeting your son.”

As the man spoke, Neal grabbed Tony’s hand needing the support and now wishing that Peter could have joined them.

“What Matthews is telling us, it that he is privy to a network of people targeting young unidentified carriers. I’m sorry, but this is going to be hard to hear; your son is lucky, normally, by now the organization would have kidnapped him or approached you to purchase him,” Peterson said.

Tony squeezed Neal’s hand; holding his other hand up to stop Peterson, he pulled his phone out and made a quick call to Peter. As soon as the other man picked up, Tony was talking, “Peter, Neal needs you, now. I don’t give a fuck what you are doing, get down here.”

Turning to Neal, Tony knew that he needed to get him calmed down and quick, Neal’s breathing was near hyperventilation state. “Neal, come on breathe for me. Deep breath and hold, now let it out, again. Good, baby. Deep breath and out.” Once Neal was more relaxed, Tony put their foreheads together, “Remember what I told you a long time ago?” he asked.

“Yeah, you would always protect us.”

“I will not let anyone hurt either of you. No matter what, Neal, I still love you, remember that. You need to keep calm not just for yourself, but for your baby.”

Neal smiled at him, “Thanks, Tony.”

“Always, Neal, always.”

Returning his attention to the other men in the room, Tony spoke up, “Why would someone think we would be willing to sell our son?”

Peterson spoke first, “From the information we have been able to obtain, the organization pays doctors to test unsuspecting children for the carrier gene, once it is determined that they are carrier’s they are isolated at the school, usually by a rumor. This is to make the child more vulnerable and susceptible to suggestions. If that doesn’t work they will then try to convince the child that running away would be best so that their families won’t be disappointed. If that fails, and the families are accepting then they will just kidnap the child. Right now, all we have is the Matthews statement as to how this works, if we could find others to bring in, well, you understand. This is why we want the deal with Matthews to work; he can give us contacts, even bottom rung will help us. As to your question, Agent DiNozzo, there is evidence that some people have actually sold their children.”

“What purpose do they have in taking and selling them?” Tony wondered.

“They are valuable. Agent DiNozzo, there are less than a million male carriers on the planet. Male carriers are more likely to produce another one. There are myths about them being docile and easy to manipulate, but those are just myths. They’ve been spread because in the past a male carrier was a prized possession of the royalty and the wealthy. The family lines were watched and when a carrier was discovered any male child they had would be taken and raised to be the perfect complacent companion for breeding purposes only. They were never married off, only sold off. If someone couldn’t have a child they would buy a carrier and impregnate him, once the baby was born the mother might be sold again or just killed. The history is a sad one and one that I have been studying for some time; in modern time, a carrier is prized for many things, but mostly they are just commodities. I’m sorry...I…” Peterson trailed off.

Peter had entered the room during Peterson’s explanation and was now comforting Neal. Tony needed more information, “Is our son sill in danger?”

“No, I don’t believe so. Normally, the doctors would inject a growth hormone into the child over several months after that process was complete he would make contact with the organization and give the child’s information to them. Matthews had only injected your son once; he has yet to make contact with them yet.”

“What is the purpose of the growth hormone?” Neal asked.

“To make the child’s reproductive system reach maturity sooner. They are also given fertility drugs, but from what Matthews said, your son was only giving the growth hormone once and nothing else,” Peterson tried to give Neal a comforting smile.

“So, what happens next?” Tony asked.

“We work with Matthews and try to track down the next link in the chain.”

“We might have a name for you,” Neal said looking to Tony for confirmation.

Tony just nodded; taking up where Neal left off, “Vincent Adler. Look, if you can keep how you got this information out of the official record I would appreciate it.”

Tony could tell that Peterson was considering it, once the other man nodded, Tony continued, “When I was sixteen, my dad took me from my boarding school and sold me to Vincent Adler. I was a prostitute for Adler until I was eighteen when I ran away. I made a life for myself; I don’t want that ruined by this and I don’t want my son to know any of this.”

“Why do you think this Adler might be involved and do you know where to find him?”

“Neal,” Tony said, the other man just nodded.

“I…I was sold to Adler as well, only I was fourteen when it happened. I remember finding out I was a carrier and the next thing I know I’m being told I would be working for this man. I was born, Neal George Bennett, but my mother and I were put into WITSEC when I was a baby. My name was Danny Brooks while I was in WITSEC.”

Tony didn’t even know that information, “Neal did your mother sell you?”

“No, she died when I was only seven. I was put into foster care after that. I don’t remember the specifics of any of it. Caffrey was my mother’s maiden name.”

“Fuck,” Tony said.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I should have told you, but I just didn’t know how.”

Tony sighed, “Neal, not your fault. None of this is.”

“How did you escape this Adler?” Marshall asked.

“We had help, he was under investigation for money laundering by the FBI at the time. You should find a file on him; I don’t know what happened after we left, but I do know that he was planning on taking us with him. He…he also was trying to get Neal pregnant.”

“So, is…” Peterson trailed off.

“No, I had a DNA test run on our son. He is biologically mine. It wouldn’t have mattered, but I wanted to make certain so that if Adler ever tried to come back into our lives he couldn’t get his hands on Josh. What do we do now?”

“Well, I would say return home. Look, you gave us some information we didn’t have before. I’ll look into it and see what turns up, but right now there is not much else you can do. If you notice anyone odd around you or your son, contact me immediately.”

The three men each nodded their heads, leaving the DA’s office shortly after that. Tony was aware that the situation was out of his hands, but he sent a quick text to Toby to let him know they needed to talk. On the way back to June’s, Toby called Tony. Tony filled him in on the situation and asked that if Toby heard anything to let him know. By the time that Tony made it back to June’s, Peter and Neal were already there. Neal looked exhausted, but he was too stressed to sleep. Tony suggested that Neal make some warm milk and sit with Josh for a while, finally acquiescing, Neal did just that.

As soon as Neal had left, Tony sat Peter down; he knew that after today, Neal would probably have nightmares. He wasn’t sure if Peter was aware of how to handle them. Tony really didn’t want to interfere in their relationship, but he was concerned for his friend. When he didn’t say anything right away, Peter spoke, “Tony, what do you want to tell me?”

“Shit, Peter, I don’t want to interfere, but…has Neal had any nightmares since you two got together?”

“No, not that I’m aware of.”

“You need to be prepared tonight then. I would think that Neal will have some nightmares for at least a while, after all these memories were dredged up.”

“I’m sure I can handle it, Tony.”

“Peter, you don’t understand. Neal, will do one of two things. He will either pull away from you or demand sex.”

“Why would he demand sex?”

“It makes him feel safe and secure. If you refuse him, Peter, he will look elsewhere.”

“What do you mean?” Peter demanded.

Tony sighed, “I mean he will tell you that he will find someone who will have sex with him. He did it to me, several times.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed.

“What if I just try to hold him, won’t that work?”

“No, Peter, it won’t. Josh came from one of those times. I almost refused him, but he said he would find one of Adler’s minions that was sort of nice and have sex with him.”

“So if I refuse him, he will look for someone else,” it was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah, and Peter, if you refuse him, he will come to me. If he does,” Tony didn’t want to say this, but he had to get Peter to understand what was at stake, “I won’t refuse him, even if it destroys my relationship with Jethro or yours.”

The next thing Tony knew, he was pinned against a wall; he and Peter were the same height, so they were eye to eye, “You would sleep with my fiancé; I thought you said you were in love with Jethro. You would cheat on him, you li…” was all Peter got out before he found himself with against the wall, face first.

“I do love Jethro, you asshole, but I would sleep with Neal to keep him from making an even bigger mistake. If you refuse and I refuse, he will just go out on the street and find someone. Do you want that?” Tony said in a harsh whisper.

Peter closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, he shook his head. Tony released him and walked back to the table to sit.

“I get it,” Peter said, “But I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I Peter, but it is what it is;” Tony said, with a sad smile. “Look, Peter, Josh and I will leave in the next few days.”

“You’re not going to wait to hear from the task force?”

“Peter, you work for them; tell me if you thing that this is going to be done in a week?” Tony said sarcastically.

“You’re right. This could take years and we may never hear about most of it.”

“Yeah, so right now, I have to take care of what is mine. I need to get Josh out of here and I need to surround him with people we trust to take care of him. When you and Neal move down, we can figure out custody arrangements then.”

Peter narrowed his eyes at Tony, “You would take Josh away from Neal?”

“What? No, of course not, Peter. I just want to see my son more often and our current arrangement is only once a month. I want a change in writing, not because I don’t trust Neal or you, but because it’s the right thing to do. What is this really about, Peter?”

Peter got right in Tony’s face, “You still love, Neal.”

“Fuck,” Tony swore, running his hand down his face, “Peter,” he said, grabbing the man by his shoulders, “Yes, I love Neal, but as a friend; as the mother of my son. I have a connection to Neal that will never go away, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is in love with you, idiot. He wants you, not me. If you don’t get past this jealousy, you will lose him. When he started to hyperventilate today, I called you. I could have taken advantage of the situation, but instead I called you to come be with him. I want to curl around my boyfriend, but I can’t right now, because I’m being the responsible parent and taking care of my son. Go, take Neal to bed; curl around him and hold him, comfort him and love him,” Tony said as he pushed Peter out of the room.

Tony was tired, he sat at the table and put his head in his hands; he looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder, it was Mozzie. Tony smiled at him, “So, how much did you hear?”

Mozzie shrugged, “All of it.”

“Shit,” Tony said.

“Tony, you did the right thing. The Suit needed to hear it; if you hadn’t he would have just pushed Neal away.”

Tony laughed, “Moz, he has a name and I wear a suit, too.”

“Yes, but you are a different suit.”

“How?”

“You are willing to bend, where Peter is not.”

“Ah, rule fourteen.”

“Rule fourteen?”

“Yeah, Gibbs’ rule fourteen, _Bend the line, don’t break it._ ”

“I think I like this Gibbs,” Mozzie said.

Tony just shook his head at his friend.

*********

Peter found Neal curled up on his bed. Slipping in behind him, he wrapped his arms around the younger man.

“Did you have a nice chat with Tony?”

“Neal,” Peter started.

“Peter, don’t. As much as I want to be mad, Tony was right. I would have done exactly what he said. All my therapy and I resort back to my old habits.”

“Neal, sweetheart,” Peter tried again.

Neal turned in Peter’s arms so they were facing each other, “I would have regretted it, Peter. I don’t want Tony or someone else, only you. Please, Peter just be here for me,” Neal begged.

“Always, sweetheart,” Peter said giving him a gently, loving kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Tony didn't come off as an ass in this chapter, that was not what my intent was.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Jackson watched the kid as he sat there picking at his food; he could see the questions and fear in the boys eyes.

“So, what’s on your mind, son?”

“Nothing, sir,” the boy said quietly.

“Now why don’t I believe you?”

The boy turned his head to face the older man, cocking it to the side, considering the older man, “My parents are mad.”

“Yes, but not at you, son.”

“I know, but I should have said something sooner. I just didn’t want to mess things up for them; they are both happy for the first time, in a very long time. I’ve never seen either one so happy; I didn’t want to ruin that.”

Jackson sat next to the boy, slinging his arm around his shoulder, “Son, there is no way you would have ruined their happiness by telling them the truth. They love you; I can tell. Do you like Peter and Leroy?”

The kid blinked at him, “Leroy?”

“Well, that is Jethro’s first name. I’m probably the only person that still calls him that.”

“Oh, yeah, Peter is great, too. He has tried to include me in some of their dates; he called them family dates. He took us on a vacation; mom and I had never really been on one, before. He even said he would take me camping, and fishing. Jethro seems nice, so far.”

“I taught Leroy how to fish and hunt when he was younger. Maybe your parents will let you come visit me this summer.”

“Where do you live, Mister Gibbs?”

“Stillwater, Pennsylvania.”

“Wow, we lived in Philadelphia for a few years, before we moved to New York. What’s it like there?”

“Well, it’s a small town. I have a store there.”

“How small?”

“Well, less than three hundred people.”

Josh’s eyes widened at that, “My class is larger than that.”

Jackson chuckled, “That’s probably true.”

“What would I do if I visited?”

“You could help me in the story, go hiking and fishing.”

Josh narrowed his eyes at the older man, “You wouldn’t just want me to come so you had free labor in your story, would you?”

“No, I would want to pay you, but only if you actually worked,” Jackson said.

“I wouldn’t expect you to pay me for not working, that wouldn’t be very sound business.”

“What would you know about business?”

“Um…nothing.”

Jackson just looked at Josh; the kid broke with in seconds, “Don’t tell my parents, please?”

“Well, I can’t promise, but tell me what you are so worried about.”

“It’s nothing bad, just…here,” Josh pulled out a paper from his backpack and handed it to Jackson.

“Is this official?”

Josh just nodded his head.

“Why don’t you want your parents to know about this?”

“I want to be normal, like other kids. This will make me not normal.”

“How did you hide this from them?”

“I sort of forged a copy of the letter and a letter from my parents back to the school. You’re going to tell them about this aren’t you?”

“No, son, you are.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Josh said.

“Yep,” Jackson said.

“Can it wait until this latest crises is over with?”

Jackson sighed, “Yes, probably a good idea.”

Drawn from his memories, Josh held the envelope that Grandpa Jack insisted he show his father. It had been a month since Josh moved in with his dad and Jethro. He liked Jethro a lot, but he would never admit it to the man’s face. The man was a grizzly bear around some, but when his father was with him, Jethro turned into a ball of mush. Josh found it rather disgusting.

Now, Grandpa Jack was great. Josh hand never had a grandfather, so when Grandpa Jack said he wouldn’t mind him calling him Grandpa, Josh was willing to oblige. Grandpa Jack would take him to do things when his dad and Jethro could not. He was happy with his dad, but he still missed his mom and could not wait for him to move down, too.

Aware that he was procrastinating, he drew in a deep breath and stepped into the dining room where his dad was talking to Jethro.

“Dad, can I talk to you?” Josh asked.

“Of course, buddy, what’s up?”

“Here,” he said handing his dad the envelope, “You should read this first.”

Tony took the envelope, removing the letter he unfolded it and began to read:

_To the Parents/Guardians of Joshua DiNozzo:_

_This letter is to inform you that your child recently participated in an intelligence quotient exam (IQ test). This exam, given as part of our regular examination periods is to help ensure that all students are living up to his or her potential._

_Your child’s score was 165, as such; we wish to speak to you at a suitable time to discuss educational options for your son._

Tony looked up from the letter, “Why am I just reading this letter, Josh?”

“Because I intercepted it and forged one that mom got. It said I only scored in the average intelligence range. I then forged a letter to the school that told them you weren’t interested in discussing it right now. I know I’m in trouble.”

“Darn, right you’re in trouble. Josh what would have possessed you to do this?”

“Because, I don’t want to be different and being this smart makes you different. I already gave Grandpa Jack my electronics and my games. I figure you can tell him when I will get them returned. If you want I’ll call mom and tell him,” Josh said sullenly.

“Josh, there is nothing wrong with being smart.”

“I know that dad; I just don’t want to be different. I don’t want to skip grades and I’m not bored in school. I really like the new school, because they let me sketch if I finish early or they let me help with the younger kids. I like it. Please don’t make me move grades, dad.”

“Josh,” Tony started, but Josh interrupted him.

“Why do you hide yours, dad?” Josh asked.

“My what, Josh?”

“You hide your intelligence, dad. Why? How many degrees do you hold?”

Tony winced at the question; if he were honest, he would admit that he was almost as intelligent as his son was. He could see the questions forming in Jethro’s eyes, aware that he needed to say something, he said, “You’re right Josh I do hide my intelligence and it’s four degrees. I’ll speak to your mother about this, but if you really don’t want to move up, I won’t make you.”

“Thanks dad,” Josh said giving his dad a hug.

“You’re welcome, son, oh and you are grounded for the next two months for the forgery and another month after that for lying to us.”

“I figured,” he said as he released his dad and headed back up to his room.

“You have four degrees, in what Tony?” Jethro asked.

Tony rubbed the back of his head, “Um, I have a double undergrad major in Physical Education and Psychology, a Master’s in Criminal Justices and a PhD in Psychological and Brain Sciences.”

“That’s a lot to keep secret Tony. What else don’t I know about you?” Jethro asked as he rose from his chair and left the room.

“Fuck,” was all Tony could say.

*********

After finishing his phone call with Neal, Tony went in search of his lover. Finding him in his basement was not shocking or was the Mason jar glass of bourbon handed to him. Neal had agreed with his punishment of Josh, so at least that was one less worry for Tony.

Jethro leaned against his workbench while Tony found the bottom step to be most comfortable. Looking into his glass, Tony tried to bring the words to the surface.

“What are you hiding, Tony?” Jethro asked.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to center himself, rising from the step he approached Jethro. Looking the other man in the eyes, he said, “Promise me, that if what I tell you is too much for you to handle, you will tell me right away. Don’t try to spare my feelings, please.” Tony begged.

Jethro just nodded his agreement.

Smiling at him, Tony kissed him sweetly on the lips, before returning to his step and his drink. He took a sip before he began his tale, “When I was sixteen, my father showed up at my boarding school. Told the school he was moving to Europe and wanted to take me with him. I knew it was a lie, but I didn’t think anyone would believe me so I stayed silent. Instead of Europe, we ended up in the D.C. area as this rich man’s mansion. His name was Vincent Adler; he was into a lot of illegal activity including human trafficking and prostitution. My father was in debt to some people, not certain who; so, in trade for his debt to be eliminated he sold me to Adler. That is where I met Neal; he had been there since he was fourteen. I’ll spare you all the gory details, but I worked as an escort,” Tony gave a sarcastic laugh, “Escort, no, I was a prostitute. I sold myself for money. Let men fuck me in whatever way they wanted. Against walls, over tables, tied-up, on my back, on my stomach, from behind, whatever they paid for they got.” He stopped for a moment as he took another sip of bourbon, “Had my ass spanked, too. They used dildos and plugs, cock rings and paddles, cuffs and spreader bars. Was in a sex swing once, ever used one,” he asked Jethro. “No, well, actually those are actually fun, as long as you are doing the fucking. We should try one; it might make our sex life more exciting,” he laughed taking another drink, this one larger than before.

Unnoticed by him, Jethro moved closer to him wanting to comfort his lover. Kneeling down in front of him, he tried to take the glass for Tony. When Tony wouldn’t relinquish it, he said, “Tony, please stop.”

Tony gave a deprecating laugh, “Stop what, Jethro? Telling the truth, I was a fucking prostitute for two years. I…I let…now do you see why I can’t let you fuck me, Jethro. As much as I love you, I just can’t let go of my control. I have,” Tony finally broke. Not realizing it, he had started to cry out his anger and frustration at his past.

“That’s it, honey. Let it all out, Tony. You never have, have you?”

Tony just fell into Jethro’s arms, letting go of years of anger and frustration. He sobbed until he was hiccupping into Jethro’s shoulder, all the while his lover just held him whispering words of love. When he had no tears left Tony pulled back from Jethro, looking at the other man, “How…how can you look at me, Jethro?”

Smiling at him, Jethro said, “I love you, Tony. None of what you just told me changes that. Do you what to know what I see?”

Tony shook his head no, but Jethro not deterred continued, “Well, I’m going to tell you anyway,” he said as he wiped away Tony’s tears. “I see a man that is stronger than anyone I have ever met. I see a man who loves his son so damn much he is willing to put his own happiness aside to make him happy. I see a man who loved his ex-husband enough to let him go when he asked, even if it broke his heart. I see a man who fought his way out of hell to make a better life for himself and his family. I see a man who would give up his life if it meant his family would live. I see a man who sacrifices so damn much and asks for so little in return. I see a man who I love so much that I’m willing to break my own rule, just to be with him. You have nothing to be ashamed of and there is nothing wrong with you, Tony. Let me be the strong one tonight, Tony.”

Tony just nodded and let Jethro pull him to his feet; he led him up the stairs to the second floor and into their bedroom. Once there, Jethro stripped Tony down to his boxers and tee shirt. Slipping between the sheets the two men wrapped around each other, Tony, for once, allowed Jethro to hold him as he drifted off to sleep safe in his lover’s arms.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

The transition from sleep to awake happened slowly that morning for Tony. He felt safe for the first time in years; he hadn’t felt this secure since his mother died. He rubbed his face against the other man’s chest, enjoying the soft cotton on his morning stubble. Kissing Jethro’s chest right over his heart, he pulled back enough to see his lover’s face. Jethro gave him a soft smile as he gazed into the beautiful blue eyes he loved. Then the night before came back to him full force and Tony felt the panic welling up inside of him. Trying to extract himself from Jethro’s arms, knowing that Jethro would probably want him out of the house soon, but the other man held him tighter.

“Tony, calm down. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Yo…I…,” Tony couldn’t catch his breath, he felt as though he had an elephant on his chest. He was gasping for breath and he broke out in a cold sweat.

“Tony, you’re panicking. Try to match your breathing to mine. Slow in, hold and slow out…that’s it, again…slow in, hold, and slow out. Once more, slow in…hold…slow out…that’s it. Feeling better?”

Tony nodded, not trusting his voice. He closed his eyes trying to find his center again recognizing he had just experienced a panic attack he felt even more ridiculous.  

“Tony, everything I said last night was true. I don’t care about what happened before, I love you and that will not change.”

Tony opened his eyes slowly, “Why?” he said in a soft voice.

“Why, what Tony?”

“Why don’t you hate me?”

“Why would I hate you, Tony?”

“I’m used.”

Jethro sighed; he needed to get his emotionally distraught lover to see that he loved him. “Tony, look at me, please?” When Tony finally looked at him, Jethro continued, “Tony, do you remember when we first started to date?”

“Yes,” he said bewildered.

“I asked for you to go slow at first, because I’d never been with a man before. You took a year and I had to force you to make love to me. If I had never wanted that, would you have still loved me if all we did were hand jobs, frontage, and the occasional blowjob?”

“I just wanted to be with you; I don’t care about the sex.”

“I know, Tony. My point is that no matter what you still love me, even if we don’t have sex.”

Tony just nodded.

Framing Tony’s face with both his hands, Jethro smiled at him, “So why can’t I still love you even after everything you told me? None of what happened to you was your fault Tony. You are not used or dirty or anything else you are thinking up in that head of yours.”

“I just…I don’t know how to be the weak one, Jethro.”

“Tony, you are not weak and neither is Neal. You are survivors, both of you. The weak one was your father. The weak one is this Adler and all those men he let use you; they’re the weak ones. You, my love, made it out and made a life for yourself, don’t forget that. Remember when you said if we did this, I would be yours, and you would be mine?”

“Yes,” Tony said.

“Well, if that’s true, then let me support you in this. Just as you comforted me about Shannon and Kelly, let me comfort you now. I love you,” he said, bringing their lips together in a gentle loving kiss. Tony at first was passive, but as he continued to kiss him, Tony retuned the kiss. Jethro rolled them so that Tony was underneath him. This was not Tony’s favorite position, unless Jethro was riding him, but he wanted to show Tony that it was all right to let go sometimes. He didn’t pin Tony’s hands afraid that it might bring back unpleasant memories for him; instead, Jethro treaded their fingers together. Continuing to kiss Tony he began gently rub himself against the other man’s hardness. Needing to breathe, Jethro broke the kiss, “Clothes, off,” he managed to get out before he found himself on his back with Tony over him. Jethro just shook his head, Tony was right he had serious control issues.

Looking up at his lover, “Tony, I’m supposed to be taking care of you. I can’t do that like this.”

“I…I don’t know how to not be in control, Jethro.”

Jethro tilted his head, considering the other man, “Tony when we are at work, I’m in control of the team. How do you handle that?”

“At work, I know I’m not in charge. I don’t always like it, but I accept it. At home I know I’m in charge and in control.”

Jethro shook his head, surprising the other man by flipping them again. Looking down at his lover, “No, Tony you are not in charge at home. We are equals here. If we aren’t equals than we don’t have a relationship. I love you Tony, but I’m not someone who you can tell what to do. I’m not asking you to bottom for me; I’m asking you to trust me. I will never do anything to hurt you. Do you trust me Tony?”

Tony opened his mouth to say yes, but instead, “I do, Jethro, but this position makes me feel vulnerable. It brings back memories I would rather not think about.”

“All right, what position would work, that does not have me on my back with my legs spread.”

“I don’t know. Neal and I never tried this.”

“What about other people you dated?” Jethro asked, curious as to how Tony handled this before.

“I’ve never dated anyone else, Jethro.”

“Tony, I know that you have dated. I heard you tell people at work about them.”

“No, not since I met you. I had a few one-night stands, but nothing else.”

“You have never dealt with your emotions, have you?”

“What emotions should I deal with Jethro? I was a prostitute; I did what I had to do.”

“No, Tony you haven’t dealt with your emotions about being raped.” After the words left him mouth, Jethro could see the terror filter into his lover’s face. This was going to be an extremely long day for them.

“No, no, I was not raped. It was a job, nothing else. I did what I had to do,” Tony repeated again.

Jethro exhaled slowly, “Yes, you were Tony. I understand this is difficult, but for us to move past this you must accept what happened to you. Tony was Neal raped?”

“Yes, but I wasn’t.”

“Tony you just will not accept that you were.” During their conversation, both men’s erections had softened and now Jethro just wanted to hold him close and comfort him. “It’s still early, why don’t we just cuddle and try to sleep some more?” When the other man’s breathing changed to shallow and rapid from his normal deep slow breathing, Jethro feared Tony was having another anxiety attack. Rolling off of him and pulling Tony so they were chest to chest, Jethro gently rubbed his back trying to coax his lover down.

“That’s it, Tony. I’m here, not going anywhere. Love you…still want you…just inhale…now exhale. That’s it honey, I’ll hold you just like you held me. You can trust me, Tony. I’ll never hurt you,” he repeated the same words over, trying to keep Tony in the here and now. As his breathing evened out, Jethro felt the front of his shirt dampen. Not wishing to make things worse, he just continued gently rubbing his lover’s back. When the shaking and tears finished, Jethro felt Tony’s hold on his shirt loosen; realizing the other man had drifted off to sleep, he extracted himself carefully and went in search of his father.  

Finding Jackson in the kitchen having an early morning cup of coffee, he pulled a mug down for himself and poured a cup. Deciding on how to address the issue with his father, he sipped his coffee.

“Leroy, what’s wrong?”

Damn his father was always excellent at seeing through him. Delaying the inevitable, he placed his mug down, “Dad, could you take Josh and stay at Tony’s apartment for the weekend?”

“Why Leroy?” his dad asked.

“Tony and I have issues to work on, dad.”

“Leroy, if this is about sex,” he father started, but Jethro raised his hand to silence him.

“No it is not about sex, dad. It’s not my story to tell, but things happened to Tony when he was younger and he never resolved them. They cropped up last night and if we don’t work on them now, I’m unsure as to,” Jethro trailed off, uncomfortable discussing this with his father.

“All right son, I’ll take Josh. If you need anything call me.”

“I will and thanks dad.” Returning to his bedroom, he found their bed empty and the shower running. Sitting on the bed, he found his phone and called Neal.

“Hello?”

“Neal.”

“Jethro? What’s wrong?” the younger man asked.

Exhaling softly, “Tony told me.”

“When?”

“Last night,” Jethro replied.

“How is he?” Neal asked, sounding worried.

“Not good. I wanted to tell you that my dad is taking Josh to Tony’s for the rest of the weekend.”

“Good, so what are you going to do?”

“Try to make Tony talk to me,” Jethro said tentatively.

The harsh bark of laughter from Neal made Jethro jump, “Good luck with that, Jethro. Tony has never once talked about what happened. He wouldn’t even go to therapy with Josh and me.”

“Figured,” Jethro, murmured.

“Jethro, just do not let him push you away, all right. He will hound you until you discuss your feelings, but when it’s his, he will run faster than a cheetah to get away. Don’t let him get away from you, he’s worth the effort.”

“Thanks, I need to go. He just finished his shower.”

“All right and thank you for letting me know.”

“Bye Neal.” Jethro returned his phone to the nightstand. Unsure if Tony would discuss the issue he sat on the bed with his head in his hands. He heard the bathroom door open and footsteps approach him, he felt the bed dip and an arm wrap around his shoulder.

“What’s wrong, baby,” Tony said softly.

Inhaling deeply, “My dad and Josh are staying at your apartment for the weekend. We are dealing with this what you told me last night and this morning,” he said with finality.

“What, you had no right to do that, Jethro. And there is nothing to discuss,” Tony said, angrily opening dresser drawers and slamming them shut. Tony was muttering to himself about stubborn boyfriends who should keep their noses out of his business. Having pulled his cloths on quickly he headed towards the door, but stopped short by Jethro’s words, “Leave and we are done Tony.”

Tony’s hand was just reaching for the doorknob when Jethro finished speaking; turning to face his lover, narrowed eyes bored into the other man, “Are you breaking up with me, Jethro?” Tony asked.

“No, Tony I’m not. I’m telling you that if you walk out that door we never had a relationship; it’s always been one-sided. You never wanted a partner, you wanted someone who you can coddle and pamper. Don’t get me wrong, Tony, I love when you hold me while we sleep, hell I even miss it when you are not around, but I’m not a damsel in distress. I thought we were building something, Tony. I believed you when you said I was yours and you were mine; that we were equals in every way. This morning was not about sex it was me wanting to comfort you and help you heal, but you tried to deflect the issue.” As Jethro spoke, Tony moved closer to him, looking up at him Jethro continued, “Do you want to know why I have three ex-wives and a string of lovers behind me?” Tony nodded, “Because I was trying to replace Shannon. I was trying to replace my first love and I let my anger and pain consume me so much that I didn’t even talk to my own father until two months ago. You Tony,” Jethro said as he pulled the man to sit next to him, “Are not a replacement for her; you Anthony DiNozzo are the second love of my life. You are not second because you are second best, but because you got here after she did. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had met you two at the same time,” he gave Tony a small smile.

Tony returned the smile, but sobered, “I don’t know how to not be in control, Jethro.”

“I know Tony. We can work on that, together. You have the right to be happy, Tony. Hell, you deserve to be happy.”

They sat quietly together, Tony resting his head on Jethro’s shoulder, until he yawned. Neither man was physically exhausted, just emotionally drained.

“Come on, Tony, let’s get some sleep,” Jethro said, laying on his back he pulled Tony so his head was on Jethro’s chest. Running his hand through the younger man’s hair, “You know, I don’t think I have ever talked so much in my life.”

Silently enjoying the others company, they rested as the older man continued to pet and sooth his lover. Breaking the silence, Tony said, “This is nice, baby. I think I could get use to this.”

A tiny smile graces Jethro’s lips, “I could too, Tony,” he replied.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist and a hard body pressed behind him, he leaned back into the other man absorbing the warmth and comfort provided. He was thankful it was Saturday, neither needed to be anywhere. A hand slipped down to his slightly protruding belly, he added his own to his new husbands.

“Is everything all right, sweetheart?” Peter asked.

“Jethro called, he wanted me to know that he sent Josh to stay with Jackson at Tony’s apartment.”

“Why would he do that?” Peter asked as he gently rubbed Neal’s belly, enjoying the new roundness that was starting.

Neal found it challenging to think of anything else now with Peter behind him. The continued motion of Peter’s hand was very sensual and Neal could feel himself begin to harden, not wishing to continue in this manner, Neal turned in his husband’s arms giving him a quick peck on the lips, he said, “Peter, as much as I love this, we need to talk.”

“Ah, hell, I hate it when you say that. Now what’s wrong? Did Tony and Jethro have a fight?”

“No, Peter they did not. Tony apparently told Jethro about some of our history. I’m not sure how much, but obviously it was enough and that is not what I wanted to talk to you about,” Neal said tightly.

Peter gave Neal an apologetic smile, “Sorry, sweetheart. What did you wish to speak to me about?”

“When are we moving, Peter?”

Peter winced; he should have seen this coming. Neal was patiently awaiting a response from him, arms crossed over his chest and an icy glare, “Neal it’s just taking longer than expected. I have to clear everything here first, before I can transfer. Maybe two or three more months,” he said wincing internally and crossing his fingers, that Neal would accept the situation; his hopes dashed by the expression on his husband’s face.

“Excuse me; did you just say two or three more months? Peter, I’ll be nearly seven months pregnant.”

“I know, but look Neal it’s not that long and it gives us plenty of time to find a house and sell my apartment,” expecting Neal to see this as a positive.

“I could move down now and stay at Tony’s apartment while looking for a house. Your apartment has had at least four offers which I thought you had accepted the last one.”

“No,” Peter said.

“Why not, Peter?”

“It won’t be that much longer, Neal,” Peter said as he moved closer to his husband.

Neal retreated a step, “Peter, you are asking me to be away from my son for almost four months. One or two I can accept, but four months, no I just cannot accept that.”

“Neal, it’s not that long. In a few months you can spend all the time you want with Josh.”

Retreating another step away from Peter, Neal narrowed his eyes, “really, just a few short months. Josh is almost fourteen, Peter. He is growing up fast, I don’t want to miss anything.”

“Neal, don’t you think that you are overreacting,” Peter said, his anger rising, he hadn’t caused the situation that required Josh to live with Tony.

“I’m overreacting,” Neal said as he moved closer to his husband. “You think I’m overreacting?” poking Peter in the chest. “How would you feel if someone told you that you could not see your child for almost four months, Peter?”

Peter opened his mouth, then closed it again. Not backing down, Neal continued, “very articulate, Peter. Would you like to try again?” he said sarcastically.

His anger deflating, Peter finally spoke, “I never thought of it quite that way, Neal. I’m sorry, but I just don’t want you that far away from me.”

“Well right now Peter, I don’t want you anywhere near me.” Holding his hands up to ward off Peter’s attempted hug, Neal said, “why don’t you take a walk; I need to cool off,” turning and heading off to the bathroom Neal left a dazed Peter in his wake.

********

Wandering the streets of New York City, Peter tried to comprehend the fight Neal and he had. He hadn’t thought Neal being away from Josh would be so difficult on his husband. They had married right before Tony and Josh left for D.C., it was a small ceremony at the court house with just their immediate friends and family. Peter and Neal were to follow them several weeks later, but Peter caught a new case that has forestalled their departure. When the case was resolved, Peter should have transferred, but his boss wanted him to train his replacement. Now, he had several cases on his plate and needed to close them before he left. He was drawn from his contemplation by the sound of Elizabeth’s ring-tone.

“Hey, El,” he said as he answered it.

“Peter, what did you do this time?”

Was the woman psychic, she always knew when he did something stupid. “Had a fight with Neal,” wincing at his plaintive tone of voice.

“Yes, I gathered that from the call I received from him.”

“Shit, why did he call you?” he asked.

“He needed to vent to someone, apparently I was the most logical choice having been married to you as well.” Peter was silent for so long, that El had to look at her phone to assure herself the call hadn’t dropped. “Did you really tell him he was overreacting?”

“Yeah, El, I did.”

“Peter, what is this really about? Why are you not fighting like hell to get to D.C.?”

“Is it wrong for me to not want Neal around Tony?”

“Why would you not want Neal around Tony? I was under the impressions that they had a good relationship, for being divorced.”

“They do. I just,” he said but trailed off.

“You just what, Peter?”

“I’m jealous,” he mumbled.

“You’re what Peter, I didn’t quite catch that last word?” El said sardonically.

“I’m jealous, all right,” he nearly shouted, aware that he was on a public street he lowered his tone. “I’m jealous.”

“Now was that hard to say, Peter?” El asked, he could hear the triumph in her voice.

“Yes,” he sulked.

“Peter,” she chastised.

“Yes, I know I’m being childish.”

“Peter, what do you have to be jealous about? Neal is married to you; he is having your baby, not Tony’s. He is willing to move for you, Peter.”

Peter shut his eyes, _how did he come to this_ , he thought. “What do I do, El?”

“Well, do something nice for him Peter. Romance him; appologize for your boorish behavoir.”

“Thanks El, I need to go. I have some serious making-up to do.”

“Yes, you do. Bye, Peter.”

“Bye, El.”

Peter scrolled through his contact list looking for a number, finding it he made a quick call, hopeful that he could make this up to Neal. Noticing where he was for the first time, Peter quickly made his way towards his destination. He just needed a few things and he could return home and hopefully repair the damage he had done.

**********

Entering their apartment, Peter saw Neal curled up on the bed with the covers pulled over him. Peter maneuvered the large basket he had over to the table in the kitchen area of the apartment. It was ridiculously large and odd looking, but he hoped that Neal would accept his apology. It had taken him longer than he expected to compete his task of assembling the basket, but once finished he was kind of proud of himself. Hearing Neal shift on the bed, he turned to find his husband gazing at the basket in wonder.

“Hey,” Peter said.

“Hey, yourself. What’s that?” Neal asked him.

“My apology,” Peter replied.

Neal left the bed and joined Peter at the table. He stared at the basket in wonder; it was the strangest thing he had ever seen. He turned to Peter and with a dubious look, said, pointing at the basket, “that is your apology?”

“Hear me out before you make any judgments on it, please.”

“All right Peter, I’m listening.”

Peter pulled Neal down into his lap wrapping one are around the other man, “I’m sorry Neal. What I said was uncalled for and childish. You were right; I should not have asked you to stay away from Josh for so long and you were not overreacting. Please, accept my apology,” Peter finished, kissing Neal on the cheek.

“Maybe; what’s with the stuff in the basket? I don’t think I have ever gotten something quite so…eclectic.”

“Um…each item in it means something different.”

“I’ll bite; I point, you explain,” Neal said pointing to the first flower he saw, a Pink Camellia.

“Longing for you.”

Neal pointed to the red Camellia and waited for Peter to respond, “you’re a flame in my heart.”

Neal held his straight face as he pointed to the white Camellia, “you’re adorable.”

“Really, Peter?” Neal asked. Peter just nodded his head. Deciding that he liked this game, Neal pointed to the Daffodil, next, “you’re the only one.”

Now, Neal was getting all squishy inside, deciding to not let Peter off too soon, he pointed to the Geranium, “stupidity, because I was acting stupid.”

Neal next pointed to the Holly, “domestic happiness,” Peter told him.

Neal then pointed to the purple and yellow Hyacinths, “um…purple, for I’m sorry and yellow for because I was jealous.”

Neal wiggled closer to his husband, pointing to the two Tulips in the basket next, “yellow is for the sunshine I see in your smile and the other one is you’re the perfect lover.”

Neal pointed to the Primrose next, “I can’t live without you, Neal.”

The last three items in the basket were mysteries to Neal, he knew what they were, just not why. “That’s very sweet Peter, but what the hell is the cactus, garlic, and nuts for. They had better not mean you think I’m prickly, smelly, and crazy.”

Peter snickered at that; maneuvering his husband so he was sitting astride his lap facing him, he said, “No, the cactus is for endurance; you have endured much, but are still here. The garlic is for courage and strength; you are the strongest and most courageous person I know,” Neal blushed at Peter’s words. Squirming more in Peter’s lap, scooting closer to him, “the nuts are to remind me of my stupidity this morning; Neal, I am so sorry about everything I said. I spoke to Hughes and at the end of this week we can leave for D.C., if you still want,” Peter said.

Smiling at Peter, Neal leaned forward and kissed him enthusiastically. They kissed until the need for air became too great; pulling back, Neal looked at Peter, “that was the most unique apology gift I have ever received.”

“Yeah, I wanted you to know that I understand my faults and I will work hard to correct them. I love you, Neal. Forgive me?”

Neal gazed into Peter’s eyes, “I forgave you half way through the basket Peter. I love you, too, and thank you.” He kissed Peter again this time it was Peter who pulled back, “make-up sex?” Peter asked. Neal rested his head on Peter’s shoulder and nodded his head; deftly lifting Neal, Peter carried him over to the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to add this before. The meanings of all the things Peter used in the basket came from this site: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/flowers/flowers.html


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

He snuggled closer to the warmth which was surrounding him; he felt the warmth shift and tighten the hold on him. _Safe, warm, and comfort_ passed through his mind as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. Blinking his eyes open, he glanced about seeing the early morning sun slipping through the cracks in the curtains.

“It’s early Tony, we don’t need to be anywhere, relax.”

“All right, Jethro,” Tony said, closing his eyes again, he basked in his lover’s presence. He drifted for a time just enjoying being held and allowing himself the luxury of not being in control. As he relaxed he slipped back into sleep. The next time he awoke, his bladder screamed for release. Carefully extracting himself for Jethro’s arms he left the bed to use the toilet. Hypnotized by the water running down the drain of the sink, he didn’t sense Jethro coming up behind him until he felt the man’s strong arms wrap around his waist and a heavy weight lean against his back. Stiffening for a moment, he relaxed and hoped that the other man had not noticed.

“Bed was cold suddenly,” Jethro said.

“Yeah, sorry. Kinda had to use the bathroom.”

“Coffee,” was the response.

Tony shook his head at the non sequitur from Jethro. “Am I to take it you want me to make coffee while you take care of business?”

“Mmm…yeah…coffee good,” Jethro said.

Turning in his lover’s arms, Tony looked at him and smiled; Jethro was barely awake. This was Tony’s favorite Jethro, he knew if Jethro sensed danger he would quickly spring into action, but right now he was adorable. Tony would never say that to his face, but he could think it safely in his head. After kissing the other man, Tony extracted himself from the bathroom and went to start the coffee. Tony was wondering what Jethro would want to do for the rest of the day when the man in question entered the kitchen.

“Hey,” Jethro said.

Tony just smiled at him. Aware there were things which still needed to be discussed, Jethro approached his lover and leaned against him. Tony’s arms came around his back, holding him close. Nuzzling Tony’s neck, Jethro said, “I enjoyed last night.”

“Yeah, it was nice.”

“Are we going to talk or are you going to keep hiding, Tony?”

“Jethro,” Tony started to say, but stopped. He tried again, “Jethro, I don’t know how to do this. I have spent my entire life focusing on others.”

“What do you mean, Tony?”

Tony released Jethro, he poured two mugs of coffee for them; walking out of the kitchen with them, he sat on the couch knowing that his lover would follow. Once seated, Jethro took his coffee from Tony, sipping on it patiently waiting for his lover to explain.

“First, it was my mother; I could focus on her and not notice all the bad crap in our lives. When she was gone, it was school and the football or basketball team I was on. I didn’t have to think about me, only how to win so everyone would be happy. After…after that was taken away, there was Neal. I could focus on taking care of him and getting us the hell out of Adler’s control.” Taking a sip of his coffee Tony paused, “after we left it was Neal and Josh. I could focus on taking care of them. When they weren’t around it was my job and then you. Don’t you see Jethro, I’m good at taking care of others…I…that’s my worth in life Jethro. I can take care of others. I’m not….”

“Don’t,” Jethro said. He placed his coffee on the table in front of the couch; straddling his lover’s lap, he took his face between his hands and caressed his cheeks softly, “don’t you dare say that.”

“Say what Jethro?” Tony said, trying to act confused.

Narrowing his eyes, “you were going to say you aren’t worth caring about or loving. Tony, you are worth everything to me. Your son idolizes you and your ex-husband is still friends with you. I don’t speak to my ex’s and they hate my guts. Tony you are so worth all my effort and time. I love you,” Jethro finished as he rested their foreheads together.

“I wasn’t worth enough for my father,” Tony said in a whisper.

“That, my love, is because he is an asshole. A bastard that should be hung-up by his balls for what he did to you. He should have cared and done everything in his power to protect you.   The way you protect Josh.”

“He said…said I was only worth wh..what he coul…could get for me,” Tony said, stuttering.

“He was wrong, honey. You have people who love you for you, not what you can do for them.”

Tony struggled to control his emotions, but the flood gates opened as he began to speak, “he…when we got to Adler’s he…he waited in the study while…while Adler tried me out. I had never been with anyone and it hurt. He…he wasn’t gently…when he was finished…he…he brought me back to the stu…study and paid my dad for me. He didn’t even give me a chance to put my clothes back on before he dragged me back to the room. His…his…cum was still dripping from me…I…had tears running down my face…my father…he said I was an embarrassment, that I should have taken it and accepted my fate.”

Jethro’s heart ached for Tony. He knew if he ever met Tony’s father, he would kill the man. He held Tony as he finally broke down and sobbed. When Tony’s sobs lessened, Jethro maneuvered his lover to let him lay on the couch. Jethro pulled Tony on top of him and wrapped his arms around the man and rubbed his back trying to soothe his distraught lover.

“Shush, Tony. It’s okay, I’ve got you. I won’t let him near you,” _either of them_ , Jethro thought. He continued to soothe Tony, hopeful the other man would rest soon. When Tony finally looked at him, Jethro asked, “feeling better?”

“No…yes…maybe,” Tony said, sitting up and straddling his lover, he wiped the tears off his face.

“Go take a shower,” Jethro said.

“Join me?” Tony asked.

“Tony,” Jethro said warningly.

“Jethro…I…please,” Tony begged, not able to articulate his needs verbally.

Reading his lover’s face, Jethro concluded that Tony wanted comfort, but was unable to say what he needed. Nudging Tony off him, he stood and threaded their fingers together, tugging Tony back upstairs. Jethro guided Tony into the bathroom and turning the shower on he began to strip the other man. Once finished, he kissed him gently and removed his own clothes; climbing in the shower after Tony, he gathered him in his arms and just rocked him as the water ran down them.

Pulling back, Tony leaned down slightly and captured Jethro’s lips in a kiss that left him panting for breath. Ending the kiss, Tony rested their forehead together, “thank you,” he whispered to his lover. Unfortunately, the water started to turn cool, so both men quickly washed each other. Once finished with their shower, they dried off and found comfortable clothes to wear. Climbing back into bed, with Tony in Jethro’s lap they cuddled just enjoying the other’s presence.

Neither man was aware of how much time had passed, until Jethro’s phone rang. Sighing, Tony shifted off of Jethro, the other man grabbed his phone, answering it briskly, “Gibbs.”

“Jethro,” Neal said.

“Hold on,” Jethro said, handing the phone to Tony.

“Hey, Neal.”

“Tony, I was calling to let… how are you, Tony?”

“I’m… working on things,” he said.

“Good, look, Peter and I talked, well… um… we had a fight, but made-up. Here’s the thing, I miss Josh and want to be near him, so at the end of this week, we will be moving down there. I just wanted you to know.”

“Okay… Josh will be happy. Do you have a place to stay?”

“No, I was wondering if we could stay at your apartment?”

“Yeah, that will be fine. I’ll make sure I get it cleaned before you get here. So… um… see you in a week.”

“Yeah, I a week… and Tony, I’m glad you told Jethro. He deserved to know. Goodbye.”

“Thanks, Neal, bye.”

Handing the phone back to Jethro, Tony curled up next to him. Jethro placed the phone back on his nightstand and pulled his lover closer to him, running his fingers through his hair. Tony started to hum, Jethro smiled over his head; kissing him on top of his head he asked, “what did Neal want?”

“Hm… oh, he wanted to tell me that they will be moving down here at the end of the week. Don’t stop Jethro, this feels so nice.” Snuggling closer to his lover, Tony began to drift off into sleep.

Jethro continued to run his fingers through Tony’s hair for a time; more emotionally exhausted than physically, Jethro drifted towards sleep, as well. Kissing Tony’s head, he said, “sleep, my love.”


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Sorry for the short chapter.

Waiting for Fornell to arrive, he sipped his coffee. Several weeks had passed, since Tony’s revelation; Jethro had waited to contact Fornell for assistance with finding Adler and DiNozzo Senior. Fornell’s help would prevent him from having to ask Abby for help.

“What do you need, Gibbs?” Fornell, asked.

“Information.”

Fornell, took the file Gibbs offered him; skimming it quickly, he frowned, _how the hell am I getting out of this one_.

“Why are you investigating a relative of DiNozzo’s?”

“DiNozzo’s, father.”

“All right, why are you investigating DiNozzo’s father?”

“I want to know where he is, at the moment.”

“Gibbs, you have to give me more than that.”

“I,” he hesitated for a moment, “can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Not my story to tell, Fornell.”

“All right, fine, who is this other person, Adler?”

“Again, not my story to tell.”

“Gibbs, I can’t run background checks on people without a reason. You got to give me something here.”

Gibbs ran his fingers through his hair, “I can’t, Tobias. Just get me the information.”

Fornell sighed, “I’ll see what I can do, but no promises, Jethro.”

“Understood,” Jethro said, as he tossed his empty cup into the trash. He left Fornell standing there, looking out over the water.

Retrieving his phone, Fornell made a call.

“DiNozzo,” Tony answered.

“Tone, we have a problem.”

There was silence, then Tony spoke again, “Toby, what’s wrong?”

“Gibbs wants information on DiNozzo Senior and Adler.”

“Fuck. What did you tell him?”

“I asked why, he wouldn’t tell me and I made no promises as to what information I could find.”

“Give him the as little as you can, Toby. I don’t want him trying to track them down.”

“Understood. Bye, Tone.”

“Bye, Toby, and thanks,” Tony said, ending the call. He returned to his desk and the cold case file he was working.

********

Sipping his coffee and waiting for Fornell was becoming a habit. He saw the other man out of the corner of his eye, he turned towards him holding his hand out for the file.

“And good morning to you, too, Jethro.”

“What did you find?”

Fornell rolled his eyes, “not much,” he said.

Gibbs snatched the file from his friend’s hands, reading it quickly, “Damn it. This all you could dig up, Fornell?” Gibbs asked.

“Look, Gibbs, if I dig too much, I’ll trigger questions and that is not what you want.”

“No,” running his hand over his face, looking at his friend, he said, “I really don’t.”

“I can tell you that Adler is on a watch list. His passport is flagged.”

“Thanks,” Gibbs’ phone rang before he could say more. Answering it, “Gibbs. On my way, DiNozzo.” Looking at Fornell, “body in Norfolk,” was all he said, before he left.

********

Tony sat in his apartment, looking through the file Toby had dropped off for him. It had more information than the one Jethro had, but not by much. He should be cuddled up with his lover, but instead, he was sitting in his apartment, drinking beer he didn’t like and reading a file on people he hated. Reading through the words, the only solace Tony had was the knowledge that his father and Adler were not currently in the United States. The knock on his door startled him; looking through his peep hole, he smiled.

“Toby.”

“May I come in?” Tony stepped aside to let the other man into his apartment.

“Beer, Toby?”

“No, can’t stay long. Figured you would be here, reading that damn file.” Tony nodded. “Damn it, Tone. Talk to me?”

Tony cocked his head, “what do you want me to say, Toby?”

“Ugh—you are worse than Jethro when it comes to talking.”

Tony just smiled and saluted him with his beer bottle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I deliberated not ending the chapter the way I did, but in the end, this was where it needed to end.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

He was folding the last of the blankets before placing them in the storage chest. He gazed around the room, it was perfect. They had spent the last two months preparing things for the baby’s arrival. Neal had finished the final touches on the room with the quilt that June had made. He approached the handmade crib, running his hand over the carved animals; he remembered the day that Jethro and Tony presented it to them. Neither Neal nor Peter had expected such a beautiful gift from the other two men. Jethro had spent months working on the project, painstakingly carving each animal to perfection. Neal loved the choice of wood and style that Jethro used; he told them he would have preferred to use Mahogany, but it was harder to find so he chose Walnut for its durability and beauty. Jethro wanted them to have a piece of furniture that would grow with the baby, so he made it convertible and they could make it into a double bed when their child was ready. Jethro had also made them a matching cradle and he was still working on the rocking chair.

Pulling away from the crib, Neal felt a sharp pain rip across his abdomen; trying to catch his breath, he waited until the pain stopped before leaving the room. He went to his bedroom to lie-down, hopeful the pains were just Braxton-Hick and not real labor; he was still two weeks away from his due date. As he rested, he drifted in a light doze, but was woke by another pain. Glancing at the clock, the contraction was almost thirty minutes apart; he would rest and wait.

As he waited, he was pulled into sleep again; this time he slept through the contractions, until one powerful contraction ripped through him bringing him to consciousness. Trying to breathe through the pain, he waited for it to cease. Looking to his watch, he noted the time and waited, when it happened again five minutes later, he decided it was time to call Peter.

He found his phone, finding Peter’s number, he waited for his husband to answer.

“Burke.”

“Peter—it’s time.”

“Time for what, Neal?”

“I’m in labor, Peter. You need to come home, now.”

“You’re having contractions?”

“Yes, Peter, and,” he paused for a contraction to pass, “about five minutes apart.”

“All right, sweetheart, I’m on my way, bye.”

“Bye,” Neal hung up with Peter; deciding he should call Tony, next.  

“DiNozzo.”

“Hey, Tony.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Just wanted you to know that I’m in labor,” he paused to breathe through a contraction, “Peter’s on his way. You’ll need to get Josh.”

“All right, I’ll bring him to the hospital and call Jackson.”

“Tony—that’s not,” he trailed off as another contraction hit.

“Just stop worrying about it, Neal. Josh is a teenager, I’m sure he knows where babies come from.”

“Not—funny, Tony.”

“Sorry, I’ll take care of it. Are you sure Peter is on his way?”

“Yeah—fuck—I don’t remember hurting so bad.”

“Just remembered what we learned when you were pregnant before.”

“I am—bastard.”

“Nope, that’s Jethro.”

“Peter’s here. Bye.”

“Bye, Neal,” Tony said as he hung up and returned to his desk. Glancing at his watch, he only had two hours before Josh would need to be pick-up. He looked to Gibbs’ desk when he felt eyes on him; his boss had understanding in them.

“Lead, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked.

“Maybe, boss. Not sure, yet.”

“You’re with me, DiNozzo. Kate… McGee, keep working.”

“Yes, boss,” the newest member of Gibbs’ team said.

“Yes, Gibbs,” Kate said.

As soon as the elevator doors closed on them, Tony started to talk, “Neal’s in labor. I need to get Josh from school and drop him off at the hospital.”

Gibbs nodded, pulling his phone out, he made a call, “Dad.”

“Yep…in labor…can…thanks, Dad.”

Tony was smiling at him when he hung up, “Jackson coming?”

“Yeah, should be here in—six hours, since he has to pack.”

******

“Neal Burke’s room, please?” Tony asked, when they reached the information desk at the hospital.

“Are you, family?” the woman asked.

“Yes.”

“Labor and Delivery, room two-ten,” she smiled.

“Thanks.”

They made it to Labor and Delivery just as Peter was walking out of the room.

“Peter?” Tony said.

“Tony! I’m so glad you’re here.” Peter said.

“Why?”

“Neal is….”

“Neal is, what, Peter?”

“Um—yelling at me.”

Tony was trying to keep his laughter to himself, but looking at the distraught man in front of him, he started to snicker.

“What’s so funny?” Peter asked.

“Sorry, don’t worry about it, Peter, Neal will stop, once the baby is born.”

Peter looked dubious, but asked, “He yelled at you, too?”

“Oh, yeah—also called me every name you can think of—just be with him and offer comfort—best you can do.”

Peter nodded, turned and returned to the room. Tony turned to Josh and smiled at his son.

“Come on, buddy, let’s find a place to wait. Not sure how long Jethro and I can stay, but Grandpa Jack is coming and he will stay with you until the baby is born.”

“I have a feeling this kid will be here, before Jack arrives,” Jethro said.

“Probably,” Tony smiled at his lover.

******

Peter stared into the basinet as his daughter stared back at him, with perfect blue eyes, just like Neal’s. They warned him that her eyes could change, but he didn’t believe them. Watching Zoey Marie, he smiled and remembered Neal cursing at him; he carefully picked the baby up and sat next to Neal’s bed. Looking up when he heard Neal, he smiled at him.

“Hey, you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine, right now.”

Returning his gaze to his daughter, he said, “she’s perfect, Neal. Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Are you going to hog her?”

“No,” he said, as he rose from his seat and handed the baby over to his husband.

“Hey, little one.”

Peter quickly snapped a picture of them, as Neal cuddled their daughter. Pleased by the look of pure love in Neal’s face, Peter wanted to climb in bed with them, but refrained.

“Join us, Peter.”

“Neal, there isn’t room.”

“Please.”

“All right, Sweetheart,” he relented, climbing in behind his husband and new daughter, he gently wrapped around them and felt Neal relax.

“I’m sorry, Peter.”

“For what?”

“Yelling at you and calling you names. I didn’t mean it.”

“I know, Sweetheart; after Tony told me you did the same to him, I felt better.”

“I was horrid to him when Josh was born. I should probably apologize to him, a well.”

“You never apologized back then?”

“No—I was depressed and didn’t even realize what I was doing. I did apologize for a lot of it, but not what I said when Josh was born.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t think he ever held it against you.”

“I know he didn’t, but I should have apologized for it anyway. Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking about this right now.”

“It’s fine, Sweetheart, get some sleep.”

“Yeah,” Neal said, as Peter held him tighter. He drifted off into sleep, wrapped in the security of his husband’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not certain about how this chapter turned out.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> So this chapter just didn't want to come to me. It's dialog heavy and I've re-written it at least four times. Sorry, just don't think it is my best effort.

He smiled at her; she smiled back, well, he hoped it was a smile. He bounced her gently on his lap as she tried to grab the toy he held above her. He felt the couch dip next to him, glancing over he saw Neal had returned with a soda for him.

“What, no beer?” Tony asked.

“No, you hate beer. I’m still not sure why you keep it in your apartment.”

“Neither do I.”

Looking at the other man, he said, “I remember you doing that with Josh.”

“Yeah, good for hand-eye coordination and brain development.”

“You told me that back then, too.”

Tony grinned at him, “and see, Josh is a genius.”

Neal rolled his eyes at his ex-husband, “are you going to hog the baby the entire time you’re here?”

“Yep.”

“Until she needs to be changed.”

“Yep,” Tony grinned at him.

“Oh, fine, let me do all the hard work.”

“Hey, she’s your kid, not mine. I get to be her doting Uncle Tony,” he grinned at the baby.

“About that,” Neal started to say.

“About what, Neal?”

“About you being her Uncle Tony.”

“What about me being her Uncle Tony?”

“Peter—we talked about, um, look Tony, I don’t have any family, except Josh, Moz, June, and you. Peter’s family is, well, he doesn’t talk to them, much.”

“Neal, what are trying to ask me?”

“Would you be willing to become Zoey’s god-father and her guardian, if anything happened to Peter and me?”

Tony blinked at Neal; he looked down at the baby in his lap, “Peter can’t be happy about this, Neal.”

“Tony, Peter and I talked about it, for months. There isn’t anyone else.”

“But… but… what about Moz or June?”

“June is not a young woman and Moz has times he… disappears. I don’t think either would make a good choice. Besides, I know you will protect her with everything you have, Tony.”

“Neal, this is,” Tony said, as he looked between Neal and the baby, “I—yes.”

“Good, um, we’ll work out the details later. I’ll let Peter know.”

Tony was going to respond, but his phone received a text message; looking at it, he frowned.

“I need to leave. We caught a case,” Tony said, handing the baby to Neal.

Neal took the baby from Tony and walked the man to the front door, waving good-bye as he pulled out of the drive way.

******

Tony entered Jethro’s basement to find his lover working on his boat. He leaned against the workbench watching Jethro work.

“Have fun,” Jethro asked.

“No, not a fan of clubs.”

Jethro turned to look at him, “so why do you go?”

“To keep an eye on Abby.”

“Tony,” Jethro said, as he stood in front of his lover, “she’s an adult.”

“You don’t treat her like one, baby.”

“What?”

“You think of her as a daughter and treat her like one at work,” he said, running his thumb over Jethro’s bottom lip.

Jethro pulled away, backing up against his boat, he considered what Tony had just said and replaying his behavior over the years with Abby. “Shit,” he said.

“Hey, it’s fine. You think of her as family, just like Ducky. Nothing wrong with that, baby.”

“Which still doesn’t explain why you club with her.”

“Jethro, Abby has horrible taste in men. I go with her, so I can keep the worst of them away.”

“How bad?”

Tony winced, “Abby has a big heart, Jethro, but she tends to not see the bad in people. I know what bad men are like, so I go and scare them off, doesn’t always work, but I try. I don’t want her to get hurt, Jethro, she like family to me, too.”

“Do I… what about the rest of the team?”

“Jethro, I don’t want to talk about work tonight. Come on,” Tony said, as he approached his lover, leaning in so their mouths were a hair’s breath away, “let’s go to bed,” he finished and kissed him. Jethro moaned and kissed him back; since Tony’s revelations six months ago, Jethro had been hesitant to engage in sex, unless Tony initiated it. They broke apart, panting heavily, Tony went to pull Jethro towards the stairs, but his lover had other ideas.

“Tony, wait.”

Tony sighed, “You aren’t going to let it drop, are you?”

“No.”

“Fine,” Tony said, as he rested their foreheads together. “Yes, you do some of it with the team, but it’s not a big deal, Jethro.”

“How?”

Pulling away from the other man, Tony leaned against the workbench, “Kate is a good agent, but she tends to allow her emotions to seep into her investigations. Remember the Suzanne McNeil case, boss; even you said Kate bonded with the woman. McGee is still green and needs encouragement from you, but you scare him. I’m trying to toughen him up for you.”

“What about you, Tony?”

“What about me, Jethro?”

“How do,” Jethro started; he took a moment to think about his behavior at work, wincing when realization hit him, “why do you let me do that to you, Tony?”

“Do what?”

“When something doesn’t go the way I want… fuck, I dump it all on to you, but you encourage me to do that, don’t you?”

Tony just shrugged.

“DiNozzo,” he snapped.

Tony sighed, “I can handle your ire, boss. Kate doesn’t respect me as an investigator, even if I have more experience. She thinks I’m a womanizing asshole, because she sees what she wants, but I don’t mind. Probie is still malleable and impressionable; I can turn him into a good investigator, not just a good agent. I’m your senior agent; I should support you, not bring up your flaws. If I don’t like something you’re doing, I’ll tell you in private. I’m trying to let them solve cases and find connections; I’m trying to make them better investigators. I don’t need accolades; I just want to put the bad guys away.”

“All right, but you shouldn’t let me dump on you.”

“It’s not like I haven’t been dumped on before, Jethro.”

“Tony….”

“Hey, it’s okay, boss, I’ve accepted it.”

Gibbs just shook his head.

“Did I ever tell you that the first time we met, that I knew you were a cop right away,” Tony said, trying to change the subject. “Well, law enforcement of some kind.”

“No, how did you know?”

“I can spot a cop a mile away. That’s why Adler kept me around, not just because I was a good fuck.”

Considering his next question, Jethro studied his lover, “You never did tell me how you got away from Adler, Tony?”

“Please don’t ask me that, Jethro.”

“Why?”

“Because, you’ll be pissed.”

“Why, Tony?”

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. We had help from an F.B.I. agent. He should have brought us in as material witnesses, but he didn’t. I’m still not sure how he got away without his bosses finding out.”

“Who was it, Tony?” Jethro said, suspiciously.

Tony was silent for a moment, “Fornell.”

“You told Fornell to give me the least amount of info on Adler and your father, didn’t you?”

Tony just nodded his head.

“Why, Tony?”

“Because I don’t want you anywhere near them. I don’t want them to hurt you, baby,” Tony said, as he gently stroked Jethro’s cheek.

Jethro pulled Tony’s hand away from his face, “I can take care of myself, Tony.”

Tony let his hands drop, “I know you can. I just… if they find out about you, Jethro, they will use you against me.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Tony?”

Tony grabbed Jethro’s face between his hands, “they will find a way to take you from me, Jethro; I know it.”

“Tony….”

“Jethro, I took something that Adler wanted; he will take something I have, as revenge.”

“Neal and Josh”

“Yeah, Neal and Josh.”

“If I promise not to go after them, will you stop hiding things from me, Tony.”

Tony swallowed, “all right, I can’t promise that I’ll spill my guts every time you ask, but I won’t stop Toby from telling you about their whereabouts.”

“Toby?”

“Yeah, um, I call him Toby and he calls me Tone.”

“How close were you back then, Tony?”

“Jealous?”

“Maybe.”

“Hmm, well maybe you should ask Toby about it, baby,” Tony teased.

“I just might,” Jethro said, right before he captured Tony’s mouth in a passionate kiss.

******

Tony smiled as Jethro shifted closer to him in his sleep. He might have to make his lover jealous more often; he should probably warn Toby about Jethro, but right now he was still riding his pleasant orgasmic high. Pulling his lover closer to him; he contemplated the conversation he had with Neal earlier in the day. He still needed to tell Jethro about it, but the other man shouldn’t have an issue with it.

“What’s on your mind, Tony?”

“You. I thought you were asleep,” Tony said, as he hugged him closer.

“Yeah, well, you’re thinking too loud. Get some sleep, we have to be at work early tomorrow.”

“Neal asked me to be Zoey’s god-father and her guardian if anything were to happen to him and Peter.”

“Good choice, now get some sleep.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Yep.”

“Night, Jethro.”

“DiNozzo, sleep.”

“On it, boss,” Tony said automatically, and closed his eyes to drift into dreamland with his lover secure in his arms.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Short chapter.

Gibbs was starting to think he should have his name engraved on the bench he was sitting on, waiting for Fornell, again. After Tony told him Fornell had help him and Neal escape Adler, Gibbs wanted a conversation with Fornell. He waited almost a week before calling his friend.

“This is becoming a habit, Gibbs,” Fornell said.

“Yeah, well, what can I say, Toby, I like your company.”

Gibbs caught the grimace that Fornell tried to hide, “he told you.”

“Said you helped him escape. Probably should have been brought in as material witnesses, but you let them go, instead.”

“Yeah, look, what do you want to know, Gibbs?”

Turning towards his friend, Gibbs studied him, “how close were you to Tony?”

“We were friendly.”

“Friendly?”

“Look, Gibbs, he was an asset. It was an undercover assignment.”

Gibbs narrowed his eyes, “he calls you Toby. That’s more than just friendly.”

“What do you want from me Gibbs?”

“Did you sleep with him?”

“What? No, it was an undercover assignment, Gibbs.”

“You call him Tone.”

Fornell rolled his eyes, “Fine,” he snapped, “I… I let him perform oral sex on me.”

Gibbs just narrowed his eyes at the other man.

Fornell sighed, “Look, I didn’t want it, but Tony was certain that we would be recorded during a party that I attended at Adler’s house. It was part of my cover, I was trying to collect evidence of Adler’s crimes.”

“Did you get the evidence?”

“Yes, we figured out that Adler was into human trafficking, among other crimes, but my bosses moved before we were ready. It tipped Adler off, that’s why I helped Tony escape.”

“Were… were you in love with him?”

“No, Jethro. I might have tried with him, if you hadn’t been in the picture, but Tone has been in love with you almost from the moment he met you; I don’t poach, Jethro.”

Gibbs just raised his eyebrows at the other man.

“All right, I don’t poach people you are actually in love with; you weren’t in love with Diane.”

“Yeah, okay, that I’ll believe.”

“Any other embarrassing questions you want to ask?”

“Just the one time?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, don’t hide anything you find about Adler and Tony’s father.”

“I won’t, but there isn’t much to tell.”

Gibbs stood, gave Fornell one more glare, before he tossed his coffee cup in the trash and left.

As soon as, Gibbs was out of hearing range, Fornell called Tony.

“DiNozzo,” Tony said.

“Thanks for the heads-up, Tone.”

“Toby… I’m guessing that Jethro spoke to you.”

“Yeah; again, thanks for the heads-up.”

“Um… yeah… um, sorry about that. What did you tell him?”

“Most of it, but not all.”

“Which part did you leave out?”

“The sp… spanking; good grief, I still have a hard time saying it.”

Tony snickered, “thanks for not telling him that part, I’m not sure how he would have reacted. There are things he doesn’t need to know, and that is one of them.”

“I can tell you, Tone, that Gibbs is jealous.”

“Hmm… I might just have a really good night,” Tony said, enjoying the sputtering on the other end, “bye, Toby.” Fornell was still sputtering when the call ended.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> This is a dialog heavy chapter. I have noted dialog that was taken directly from the episode with a 1 after each line.
> 
> 1--s02e22 Swak--dialog taken directly from the episode.   
> 2--s02e23 Twilight--dialog taken directly from the episode.
> 
> Not trying to plagiarize anything, just needed to borrow some very awesome dialog. I think this is one of my favorite episodes for banter and dialog, and the only episode I actually liked Kate in.

Gibbs smirked behind his coffee cup as his lover taunted Kate as he discussed sake bombing, something that Gibbs was sure his lover had little experience with, at least not while in college.

“I work with a pair of wankers, ¹” Tony said.

“And you make three, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said, walking behind his team. ¹

“Good morning, Boss,” Tony replied. ¹

“Good morning,” Kate said, sounding stuffed up. ¹

“Cold or flu?” Gibbs asked her. ¹

“Just plain cold.  Don’t worry.  I will sneeze into my tissues, unlike some people,” Kate said, looking in Tony’s direction. ¹

Tony wanting to antagonize Kate further, replied, “I have allergies, Kate.” ¹    

Sitting down at his desk, Gibbs responded, “never had allergies.  Never had a cold.” ¹

After that, the next few moments would be burned into Gibbs’ memory until he died. He had seen Tony snatch an envelope out of McGee’s hand and then open it. The next thing he saw was Tony blowing powder all over his face; he wanted to run to his lover, but instead his training took over. He was standing on a desk evacuating all personnel, but his team. He watched as Tony poured a bottle of water over his head, hands, and face to wash off the worst of the powder.

He watched as Kate and McGee started to head towards the showers, calling Tony to come as well. He wanted to reach out to the other man as he walked by, but he heard Tony say, “sorry, Boss.” ¹

As they all showered, his three agents speculated as to what could have been in the envelope.

“You know, it might not be anthrax,” McGee said. ¹

“I like the sound of that, Probie,” Tony replied. ¹

“It could be small pox, bubonic plague, cholera….” ¹    

“Probie!” ¹

“Foot powder, face powder, talcum powder,” McGee said. ¹

“Honey Dust!” Tony shouted. ¹

“Honey Dust?” McGee asked. ¹

“Honey Dust.  I give it to girls – women, sorry, Kate.  I give it to women at Christmastime.  Very sensuous.  You apply it with a feather.” ¹

“You don’t use the whole chicken?” Kate asked. ¹

“I never heard of Honey Dust.” McGee said. ¹

Kate replied, “yeah, that’s because your mother raised you to respect women, McGee.” ¹

Gibbs knew full well that Tony had never given Honey Dust to any woman, but he played along, “It makes a women’s skin feel silky smooth.  When kissed, it tastes like honey. Got a box of Honey Dust last Christmas.  No card.” ¹

“Ah, I think the post office screwed up, Boss.  Someone else got your bottle of Jack and you got the…” ¹ Tony was interrupted by Kate talking about the post office irradiating the mail. Jethro had received a box of Honey Dust last Christmas, but it was not a mistake.

The next thing Gibbs knew he was in autopsy waiting to be cleared of any pathogen. He was worried, the medical personnel had already taken Tony and Kate to Bethesda and he was stuck in autopsy waiting to be released. He started to pace when Abby came back on the screen. She began talking, but he interrupted her, “Swak?” ¹

“It’s sealed with a kiss, Gibbs. Didn’t you ever get a love letter?” Abby asked. ¹

“Does a Dear John count?” ¹

“Ah.  I feel sorry for you, Gibbs.” ¹

Gibbs didn’t give a fuck if Abby felt sorry for him or not, he needed information, “Is there a return address?” ¹

“Twenty-seven Old Mill Bottom Road… Annapolis, Maryland.” ¹

“McGee, you got that?” ¹

“Got it.  I just wish I had my PDA.” ¹

“Use Ducky’s,” Gibbs said. ¹

Gibbs heard Jimmy stutter out, “Uh… uh… Agent Gibbs, Sir, Doctor Mallard doesn’t have….” ¹    

Gibbs didn’t care that Ducky didn’t have a PDA; he needed answers. Needing to get Jimmy out of the room before he lost it, Gibbs ordered, “requisition replacement cell phones and weapons for my team.  Go!” ¹

“Pistols?” ¹    

“Well no, Palmer.  Crossbows if you think they might work better,” irritated at the other man. Turning towards Abby he asked, “Cancelled stamp?” ¹

“Noon yesterday, Annapolis.” ¹    

“Open it!” he shouted at her; he would apologize later, but for now he had to have answers. ¹

After Ducky read the letter, Gibbs was even more of a bear. He had so many things he had to do, but he had to find out who did this. Once he and McGee left autopsy they headed to Abby’s lab. Gibbs could tell that Ducky was worried about him, but he could not afford to show any weakness. He ordered McGee to find out what the hell the case the letter mentioned was and then turned towards Abby, “Okay.  Abby, pull surveillance videos from the squad room.  Everything from twenty-three hundred, last night when I left, until McGee came in this morning.” ¹    

“You’ve got to get a life, Gibbs,” Abby said. ¹

“The last thing I need is another wife.” ¹

“Life.  You’ve got to get a life,” Abby said. ¹

Gibbs had a life, with Tony and Josh; _fuck he had to call Neal._ Tony’s secret about his son would come out, because Neal and Josh would not stay away from the hospital. He really needed to be cleared, so he could deal with the situation.

Finding out the case mentioned in the letter was one that Pacci worked, did not sit well with Gibbs. He was grateful that Cassie Yates had also worked the case and remembered it; he needed another experienced agent working this. He was surprised that she was nearby when Ducky called her, but that would make this faster. Before he could do anything else, Abby called him, “Gibbs!  Look who else doesn’t have a life.  Tony came back around midnight.” ¹

Gibbs was aware of that; he and Tony had a fight that night. Tony was angry when Jethro didn’t get home until after eleven, Tony had walked out of the house, because he was too angry to stay. _Why the hell did we fight over something so stupid_.

“He does his best work at night,” Gibbs said. Tony had come back after leaving work again and apologized for being an ass, but Jethro had been a bit of a bastard and didn’t say he accepted the apology. ¹

“So he tells us.  Here’s Tony leaving.  That’s Ben the mail-boy.  He didn’t do it.” ¹

“Why not?” Gibbs asked. ¹

“He’s a Vegan.” ¹

“Hitler was a Vegan.” ¹

“Hitler was a vegetarian.  Big difference.  Vegans are so against cruelty they won’t even use cosmetics tested on animals.” ¹

Ducky interrupted the conversation, “Abigail, could Y. pestis be altered to withstand irradiation?” ¹ Gibbs was sure Ducky must have known the answer to the question, but he was grateful to the other man for bringing them back on track.

“No way.  Altered or not, it’s still a living organism.” ¹

“Could the gilding in the envelope protect it?” Gibbs asked. ¹    

Abby began to examine the envelope as she responded, “it would have to be at least ten mils thick.  This is barely one.  Uh-oh.” ¹

If he heard one more uh-oh he would start shooting things, if Palmer ever brought him a weapon. “Abby, I do not want to hear any more uh-ohs.” ¹    

“Sorry.  But this swak didn’t bleed through.  There’s another one inside.” ¹

_Fuck._ “Get that letter out here where you can examine it!” Gibbs said. ¹

“Gibbs, I’ve told you!  I have to wait for Atlanta to…” ¹

“Any doubt it’s pneumonic plague?”

“No, but…” ¹

“Then no “buts”!  Okay?  We’re losing time.  Kill those bugs!   Now!” ¹ Gibbs nearly shouted at Abby. Tony did not have time for ‘buts’ or ‘uh-ohs,’ they needed answers.

After Cassie arrived, things began to move along. With Cassie’s help they determined who sent the letter, Hanna Lowell, the mother of the victim. The case was dropped when the evidence cleared all the Navy personnel that had been accused of rape and sexual assault. Once Ducky informed him they had been cleared of any infection, Gibbs was ready to arrest the bitch.

******

Once he got his phone from Jimmy, Gibbs headed to the locker room to find clothes and make a private phone call. Once changed, he could no longer put off making the call; he almost hoped Neal didn’t answer his phone.

“Jethro, what’s wrong?” Neal asked, immediately.

“Neal…it’s Tony, he’s at Bethesda Naval Hospital.”

“What happened?”

Gibbs was trying hard not to break-down while telling Neal, “this morning he was infected with Y. pestis, in a biological attack while at N.C.I.S.”

“What the hell is Y. pestis, Jethro?”

“The plague. He has pneumonic plague, Neal.”

“What…. No… no—that can’t be…is he going to make it?”

“I don’t know, Neal. I know you and Josh will want to go and see him, but he is currently in isolation. I… I… fuck, Neal, I want to be down at the hospital right now, but I also need to catch the bitch that did this to him.”

The line was quiet for a moment, then Neal spoke again, “I… you know who did this?”

“Yeah, pretty good idea.”

“Then go arrest the bitch, Jethro; you know I can’t keep this from Josh?”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll call Ducky and let him know you are on your way. I gotta go,” Jethro said, taking a deep breath.

“Bye.”

******

“How do you want to handle this?” Cassie asked. ¹

“Subtle approach.  You serve the warrant.  I’ll shove my Sig in her face,” Gibbs said. ¹

“Gibbs, Hanna Lowell has been arrested at more protests than Jesse Jackson.  She won’t be intimidated.” ¹

“Okay, then I’ll shoot her and I’ll go after whoever made the damn bug for her,” Gibbs said, because right now he really didn’t care if the woman lived or died. ¹

“You’re not going to kill her.” ¹

“I said shoot, not kill,” but if it meant she died, well he wouldn’t cry over it. ¹

“There are dozens of microbiologists here.  It would take days to interrogate them.  Tony doesn’t have days.” ¹

“Do you know where her office is or should I ask the receptionist?” Gibbs asked, getting frustrated with the situation. ¹

“Boss always has the top floor office.” ¹

As Gibbs and Cassie walked into Lowell’s office the woman said, “It’s about time you got here. I left enough cookie crumbs.” ¹

“You left more than cookie crumbs, lady,” Gibbs said. ¹

“I regret I resorted to such a dramatic act, but you people at NCIS left me no choice when you lied to protect the Academy.  Now, you admit that a Midshipman raped my daughter and this will all be over.” ¹

“The DNA testing cleared…” Cassie tried to say, but Hannah interrupted her, “Oh, stop it.  I know how easy it is to dope a DNA test.” ¹

“You love dramatic acts,” Gibbs said and spent the next few minutes getting the woman to incriminate herself. ¹ She finally told him the name of the microbiologist that created the Y. pestis; as soon as, Cassie arrested the woman Gibbs found a security guard to show him to the Doctor’s lab.

Once Gibbs found Pandy, what he learned was not good. “There is no antidote.  I developed a vaccine, not an antidote.  It’s of no use once the victim is infected.  Hanna misunderstood,” Pandy said. ¹

“She understood,” Gibbs replied. ¹

“No, it’s the brain tumor.” ¹

“That’s what’s killing her?” ¹

“It’s inoperable, obviously affecting her mind.  Why else would a woman who fought to ban biological weapons use them?” ¹

“I don’t know.  Why is Lowell Pharmaceutical making them?” ¹

“We’re not.” ¹

“You didn’t create this beast?” ¹

“Yes!  But only to develop a defense against it.  Antibiotic resistant diseases are potential terrorist weapons.” ¹    

“A terrorist isn’t killing my agent, you are!” Gibbs shouted at the man. ¹

“I understand your anger.” ¹

“No, you don’t!  But if you don’t save him, you will,” Gibbs said, because nothing would stop him, if Tony died. ¹

“It has a suicide gene that stops it from replicating after thirty-two hours….as a security precaution,” the frightened man said. ¹

“It dies?” Gibbs asked, hopeful that would mean Tony would live. ¹

“Yes.” ¹

“It’s dead now?” ¹

“If it’s over thirty-two hours since the specimen has been infected, all of the Y. pestis is dead.  However, the damage will have been done.” ¹

“The specimen is going to die?!” Gibbs shouted at the man. If Tony died, Gibbs didn’t think he would survive long after. ¹

“No.  No, not necessarily.  He has the same chance of survival as those infected in plagues of the past, probably better since he will be healthy and young.” ¹

“What was the survival rate of the past?” ¹

“People were weakened by depleted crops, bad nutrition,” the man hesitated. ¹

“Damn it!  What was the survival rate?!” Gibbs shouted at him again. ¹

“Fifteen percent.” ¹    

******

“It looks like pneumonia,” Ducky said. ¹

“Worse, I’m afraid.  He’s showing signs of cyanosis.  His fingernails and lips are going blue,” Doctor Pitt replied. ¹

“The Y. pestis is starving his body of oxygen.  It’s too late to reverse, isn’t it?” ¹

“It’s never too late.” ¹

“Until I get the body,” Ducky said, just as Neal and Josh entered the area. ¹

“My dad is going to die, isn’t he?” Josh said.

Ducky internally cringed, he had hoped that Neal and Josh would have stayed away, but luck did not seem to be with him today. He could see the confusion in Doctor Pitt’s eyes, feeling it his duty, he introduced everyone.

“Doctor Pitt, this is Tony’s son, Joshua DiNozzo and his ex-husband, Neal Burke.”

“Ah, forgive me, Doctor Brad Pitt, I’m Tony’s doctor and no I’m not related to the actor,” he smiled at them. He was shocked to find that Tony had been married to a man, considering his penchant for hitting on the female nurses.

“You still haven’t answered my question, Doctor. Is my dad going to die?”

“He stands a good chance of surviving this, son,” Pitt said.

Josh narrowed his eyes at the doctor, “I’m not stupid. I know that pneumonic plague is much harder to treat than bubonic. I also know that if it was a biological weapon, it might be even harder to kill. Please do not insult my intelligence and just tell me what are my dad’s chances, because what I found is not very promising.”

“Joshua,” Neal warned.

“I’m sorry, but I… I… need to know,” Josh said, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

“You’re right,” Doctor Pitt said, “pneumonic is much harder to treat and it was altered to be resistant to antibiotics. During the Black Death, the survival rate was approximately fifteen to twenty-eight percent, but your dad is strong and I think he has a lot to live for, Josh. Don’t give up on him, okay?”

“Yeah, um… sorry for my attitude.”

“I understand, now I need to get in there and check on him,” Doctor Pitt said.

Josh and Neal just nodded to the doctor.

******

“I’m sorry I teased you with all those movies, Kate,” Tony said. ¹

“Teased?  You’ve tortured me.  For two years all I’ve heard is John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, James Bond,” Kate said, fighting back tears. ¹

“James Bond… is a character… played by Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan.  Why are you wearing a mask?” ¹

“Because I have a cold.” ¹

“Why aren’t you sick?” ¹

“Because I’m stronger than you, Tony,” she taunted him, hoping he would focus on something other than being sick. ¹

“Are not.” ¹

“Am too,” she felt like she was back in grade school, but if it worked and kept Tony sidetracked she didn’t care. ¹    

Tony’s coughing became worse, “Tony!  Tony!  Sit up!” Kate said frantically. ¹

Brad had come in during Tony and Kates banter session, but now he needed to her to leave, “Kate, you should leave.  Now!” ¹

Kate exited the isolation room and found Ducky in the observation room with a man she had never seen and a teenaged boy. She couldn’t figure out why they were there; the man might be a doctor, but the boy couldn’t be more than thirteen or fourteen.

“Ducky, who are they?”

“Oh… my dear… um…” Ducky trailed off, not certain how to introduce them.

“Neal Burke and this is my son, Joshua DiNozzo,” he said.

Kate’s eyes widened at the boys last name; was he Tony’s nephew, she wondered, he couldn’t be his son. Tony had never mentioned any family or any personal information, except the women he dated. Distracted by the sound of Tony coughing, Kate began to openly cry while Ducky tried to comfort her, “You were brave to stay with him, Kate.” ¹

Forgetting who was in the room, she said, “he’s dying, Ducky.” ¹

Before Ducky could respond, Gibbs walked in “ah, the hell he is!” Gibbs said, as he entered the isolation room. ¹

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Who the hell are you?” Brad asked. ¹

Gibbs wanted to say he was Tony’s lover, but instead he said, “his boss.  The bug has a suicide gene.  It’s dead.  It’s been dead for over an hour.  He’s no longer infectious.” Leaning close to Tony he whispered, “Tony, listen to me.  Are you listening?” ¹

“I’m listening.  I’m listening, Boss.” ¹

“You will not die, you got that? I said, you will not die.” ¹

“Okay, I got you, Boss,” Tony said wheezing. ¹

Gibbs stroked Tony’s hair gently, giving him a small smile, he said, “because you have too much to live for, all right. You have Josh, who needs you, still. You have me… I… don’t know what I would do without you, Tony. I love you.”

Trying not to cough, Tony said, “I’m… not… going… anywhere, baby. I love you, too,” he got out before he started to cough again. Pulling back, Gibbs turned and left the room, so the doctor could work on his lover. Returning to the observation area, Gibbs found Ducky comforting Kate, while Neal was trying to comfort his son.

Turning to the boy, Gibbs said, “Josh,” waiting for the teen to look at him, “he’s not going to die, you hear me.”

“Yeah,” Josh said, nodding his head and wiping his face of the tears.

“Good,” turning to Ducky, Gibbs said, “Duck, take Kate home with you. Make sure she gets rest and doesn’t come back to the hospital for at least twenty-four hours.”

“Of course, Jethro,” Ducky replied. Kate began to protest, but Ducky just spoke over her, “Now, my dear, you haven’t really rested since this whole thing started. Come stay with mother and me; I’ll make you some lovely tea with honey and lemon in it. This time tomorrow we shall both return to see young Anthony,” he finished, pulling Kate with him out of the observation area.

Once Kate and Ducky were gone, Gibbs turned to Neal and Josh, “he’s going to be fine. Why don’t you two go get some rest and come back later.”

Josh was going to object, but Brad stepped in, “I have one of the nurses looking for a room for the two of you to rest in, if you want to stay at the hospital. I would let you stay with him, but I want him to get as much rest as possible.”

“Mom, please,” Josh pleaded.

“All right,” Neal said.

Josh and Neal followed the nurse out of the observation room for isolation, leaving Gibbs and Brad behind.

“Doctor Brad Pitt.”

“Gibbs.”

“I think he will recover. His lungs will probably be scarred from this, though,” Brad said.

“Is it career ending?”

“We won’t know until he has recovered fully, but I will say that I don’t think it will. If he can survive this, I think he will make it back as a field agent. Do you know who his primary doctor is, because I would like to consult with them.”

“He doesn’t like doctors. I’ll have Ducky contact you about recommendations for Tony.”

“Thank you.”

“I need coffee,” Gibbs said.

“He’ll be fine. If you want, leave your number with my nurse and if anything changes, we’ll call.”

Gibbs nodded, wrote down his number and left the room in search of coffee. He needed rest, but until Tony was home with him, he didn’t think he would get much.

******

Tony was still tired from his battle with the plague, but he hadn’t felt this good in weeks. Jethro wasn’t happy that he was returning to work a week early, but Tony was going insane, stuck at home. He had watched all his movies, twice. He had read all of his books, twice. If played one more round of checkers with Jackson, he was going to scream. The older man had come down from Stillwater to help take care of Tony while he recuperated, but now Tony needed to move and be active again. Brad had cleared him, although he wasn’t too happy about it.

“Are you sure you’re up to this?” Gibbs asks. ²

“Never felt better,” Tony said. ²

“Yeah?” ²

“Baby, I’m fine.”

“You look like crap.” ²

“I love you too, Jethro.”

“You’ve got another week of sick leave coming, Tony. You should take it.” ²

“Jethro, I was going nuts at home. I’ve watched every movie, read all my books, played checkers with your dad about a million times, and cooked enough food for the next year.”

“Still doesn’t mean you should be back at work yet, Tony.”

“I know, baby, but I need to work again. Tony wistfully looked at Jethro, “I wish we weren’t in this damn elevator at work, because I really want to kiss you right now.”

Right as Jethro was going to say something, the doors to the elevator opened and Tony stepped off and headed to his desk. By the end of the day, Tony wished he had listened to Jethro’s and stayed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm using both Swak and Twilight to bring the team into the story. They have had very little interaction with Tony outside of work, so this was a way for me to bring them in to the story. 
> 
> I really hope it works.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Tony was on the phone with Peter when Gibbs came into the bathroom, “I don’t know, Peter. If he knows about Neal and Josh and decided to go after them to get to us… just take care of them, please. I have to go.”

“Fornell is getting Jackson from my house and taking him to Neal and Peter’s house,” Gibbs said.

“Good, I think Peter is going to take them all to New York; he didn’t want to say over an unsecured cell call. What about Kate?”

“She’s downstairs with Ducky, Palmer, and Abby. I have McGee guarding them, for now. Talk to me Tony.”

“About what, Boss?”

Jethro flinched at Tony’s use of Boss, “what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“What do you want me to say, Gibbs? That if I hadn’t said something, Kate would be dead right now. You… you could be dead right now.” After Kate tackled Gibbs, right before the sniper took his first shot, she was about to get up when Tony shouted at the two of them to stay down as he wasn’t sure if more shots were coming. The three of them stayed low and carefully made their way off the roof top. McGee had taken refuge behind a car, but some of his equipment was damaged.  

Tony was leaning against the restroom counter as Gibbs approached him. Jethro got in Tony’s personal space and leaning into the other man, Jethro kissed his lover. Tony opened up to him, but pulled away, “Jethro, were at work.”

“I know Tony, but I locked the bathroom door and I need this.”

Tony smiled, “all right, baby.” Pulling their bodies flush with each other, Tony tilted his head down and kissed Jethro, sweet and gentle. They were interrupted when Gibbs’ cell phone rang.

Gibbs pulled away from Tony, answering his phone, “Gibbs. Yes, Sir. I’ll be right there.”

Tony tilted his head in question, “Director wants to see me in MTAC.”

“I’ll get someone else on guard duty and get McGee up here to help with the searches.”

Gibbs just nodded and left the bathroom, headed towards MTAC.

******

Gibbs was not a happy man when he left MTAC, followed by the new Director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard. He didn’t like being told he couldn’t go after the terrorist who was taking pot-shots at his team. Tony would not be happy that one of Jethro’s former lovers was now their boss; they would have to be careful not to let her find out about them.

As Gibbs entered the bullpen, Tony was already reporting on what information they had regarding the terrorist. Tony eyed Shepard critically, nodding to Gibbs for an introduction, “DiNozzo, McGee, this is newly appointed NCIS Director Jenny Shepard.”

“Ma’am,” Tony and McGee said in unison.

“Abby and Kate are in autopsy with Palmer and Ducky, Boss,” Tony said.

“Boss, I want to go to Abby’s lab and work on the trajectory of the shots fired, but I will need her help with it,” McGee said.

“We’re off the case McGee. The FBI will be running the investigation; someone should be here soon to collect our evidence,” Gibbs said.

“And what are we supposed to work on, Boss?” Tony asked.

“Cold cases,” Gibbs snarled.

“Until further notice, your team is on stand-down,” Shepard said. “Jethro, send your team home. They do not need to be here today,” with that Shepard turned on her heals and headed for her new office.

Tony turned to Jethro, “Boss, I’m not letting Abby and Kate go home by themselves.”

“Tony, I know. Take them somewhere safe. Take Palmer, Ducky, and McGee, too.”

Tony move closer to his lover, in a whisper asked, “what are you going to do, Jethro?”

“Don’t worry Tony, I’m just going to work on my boat,” Jethro said, smiling at him.

“Be careful, Boss,” Tony said, wanting to kiss the other man, but they were at work, so he refrained.

******

Three hours and many arguments later, Tony escorted his co-workers into his apartment. He didn’t spend much time in it anymore, but it was the safest place he could think of at the time. He didn’t want everyone traipsing through his life, but they needed a place to stay and his seemed the most secure. Ducky had refused to come with them, insisting that his mother needed his attention and he could take care of himself. Tony let the matter drop with the older man and escorted the remaining members of the team to retrieve necessary items from their homes.

“Make yourselves at home,” Tony said, tossing his keys in a bowl on his entry table.

“Wow… nice place, Tony,” McGee said.

“Yeah, how do you afford it, Tony?” Kate questioned.

“Got a good deal on it. It had some unpleasant history to it, so I snagged it for a good price.”

“Wait, you’re not renting his place?” Palmer asked.

“Nope, I have a mortgage, like a responsible adult, Jimmy. Now, Kate, Abby—you two can take my bedroom; I’ll get clean sheets for you.”

“Yeah, no thanks, Tony. I’ll just take the couch,” Kate said.

Tony turned to her, “I’m going to put McGee and Jimmy on the couch, Kate; it pulls out into a bed. My room has a private bathroom and a king size bed.”

“Uh… Tony where are you going to sleep?” McGee asked.

“I have a second bedroom that has a bed, I’ll take that,” with that, Tony turned and went to find clean sheets for everyone.

The four remaining co-workers began to look around the room. It was rather large with built in bookshelves filled with not only movies, but also a great many books. What caught Abby’s eye was the grand piano that was a focal point of the room. With the way Tony spoke about his movie watching, one would have thought he had a killer entertainment system as the focal point, but instead it was a piano.

“I wonder if he plays?” Abby asked.

Kate chuckled, “I doubt it Abby, he probably has it to impress the girls he brings home.”

“I don’t know, Kate… look at these pictures. Who’s that with Tony?” McGee asked.

Kate walked over to McGee, she recognized the man and boy in the picture; they were at the hospital when Tony had the plague.

“Um, I met them once when Tony was in the hospital. That one’s name is Neal, I think, and the boy’s name was Joshua.”

“They were visiting Tony?” McGee questioned.

“Maybe, they were in the observation area of isolation when Brad kicked me out. Ducky made me leave shortly after, so I never did find out why they were there.”

Tony returned to the room before they could begin to speculate on who the two were. “Hey, gir… ladies, I changed the sheets for you. I’m going to start the oven for dinner; Jimmy, where did you put the food we bought?”

“Oh… um… right here… um… Agent… DiNozzo.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “Jimmy, call me Tony, please.”

“Um… sure… Tony,” Jimmy said.

“Good, now if you guys want to watch a move or something, go ahead.”

“Is he cooking dinner?” Kate asked.

“Uh… sounds like it, Kate,” Abby said.

“Tony can’t cook, maybe one of us should help him?” Kate questioned.

“Um… sure,” Abby said turning towards where Tony went; Kate followed behind her. When the two women made it to the kitchen, they were surprised to find a very neat and organized kitchen and Tony was removing what appeared to be a homemade casserole from his freezer.

“Need any help, Tony?” Abby asked.

“Oh… sure Abby. If you ladies would like you can make the salad; I already have everything out for it,” he said, pointing towards his counter and cutting board.

“What are we having, Tony?” Kate asked.

“Ah… a Tony special. It’s a cross between a ziti bake and lasagna. I was kind of board while I was recovering, so I made food and froze it for later.”

“Um… Tony, I thought you stayed with Gibbs for the first few weeks you were recovering?” Kate asked.

Tony laughed, “I did, right now Gibbs has a freezer full of food that will last him for several months. This,” he said, opening his freezer, “is just the overflow.”

“I didn’t know you could cook, Tony,” Abby said.

Tony shrugged, “a skill I picked up in college. Now, why don’t I make us some of my apology cupcakes.”

“Apology cupcakes?” they all questioned, as Jimmy and McGee joined them.

Tony smiled, “yeah, when I was married, anytime I screwed up, I would bake these cupcakes as an apology. You had one once, Abby,” Tony said, turning to find all the ingredients and not noticing the looks on his co-worker’s faces. When he turned back, he blinked at them, “what’s wrong?”

Kate spoke first, “you… you were married?”

“What?” Tony said, in confusion.

“You said ‘when I was married,’ Tony.”

“Oh… um… yeah… um… it was some time ago. We got divorced before I started working at NCIS.”

“So, what was she like, Tony?” Kate said, hoping to get taunt her friend.

“Um… well…,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “you met him at the hospital, Kate.”

“Him!” the other four said in unison.

“Yeah, Neal Burke. He remarried about a year ago.”

“You’re still friends with him?” Abby asked.

“Uh… yeah… kind of hard not to be, when we have a son together,” Tony said, figuring he might as well tell them his cover story.

Finally, Kate put all the connections together and said, “wait, the boy, Joshua DiNozzo, is your son.”

“Yeah, good kid, too.”

“How long were you married, Tony? Because he’s like, what thirteen—fourteen,” Kate said.

“He’s fourteen and we were married just over ten years. We met in college and sort of didn’t use protection… when I found out that Neal was pregnant, I insisted we get married. Unfortunately, things just didn’t work out, in the end.”

“Wow… you were married longer than Gibbs was,” Abby said.

Tony just shrugged, he didn’t think it was that great of an accomplishment, since they were divorced and he was now dating Gibbs.

“So all the women you talk about…” Kate trailed off.

“It’s all true, just none of it happened while I was in college. I was too busy being a dad and husband to goof off in college,” Tony said, as he finished pouring the batter into his cupcake pan.

Just as Tony was placing the pans into the oven, his phone rang. Closing the oven and answering it, “DiNozzo.”

“Tony.”

“Boss, what’s wrong?”

“Ari’s dead, Tony.”

“Fuck, all right, ba… boss. McGee and I will be there shortly.”

“Okay,” Gibbs said and hung up.

Tony shook his head, turning towards his co-worker’s, he announced, “Ari’s dead. McGee we need to get to Gibbs’. Kate, you stay here with Abby and Jimmy.”

“If he’s dead, we can all go home,” Abby said.

Tony shook his head, “not until it’s confirmed. FBI will probably handle the case. Come on, McGee.”

******

McGee and Tony arrived at Gibbs’ house, just as Fornell and the new director were arriving.

“What are you doing here, Agent DiNozzo?” Shepard asked.

“Boss called, ma’am.”

“Is he going to stay with you, DiNozzo?” Fornell asked.

“Yep, until his house is clear. He won’t like it, but doesn’t have much choice.”

“All right, I’ll get him out of here as quickly as possible.”

“Thanks, oh and Fornell, is it safe for me to send everyone else home?” Tony questioned.

“Yeah, probably.”

“That is very nice of you to offer your home to Agent Gibbs, but I’m sure that he would prefer to stay with me,” Director Shepard said.

Tony would have laughed in the woman’s face if he didn’t want to keep his job, “just returning the favor, Director. Why don’t we see what Gibbs wants?”

“Of course, shall we.”

Whatever the new director was up to, Tony was not going to let her get her claws into his lover. Following them into the house he saw Gibbs on the couch wearing his USMC sweatshirt that Tony loved to steal; he was glad it wasn’t his OSU sweatshirt that Jethro normally wore, that would have been hard to explain.  

“Jethro,” Shepard said. The way she said Jethro’s name, was grating on Tony’s nerves.

“I’m fine, Jenny,” Jethro said.

 _Jenny?_ _Oh, they were having a nice chat when they were finally alone._ Before Tony could speak, an FBI agent came down the stairs with his OSU sweatshirt. Thinking fast was Tony’s strong suite, “I told you it got mixed-up in your laundry, Boss.”

“What?” the agent asked.

“That’s my sweatshirt. It must have gotten mixed-up in with Gibbs’ laundry, thanks for finding it.”

“How would one of your sweatshirts become mixed-up in Gibbs’ laundry, Agent DiNozzo?” Director Shepard asked.

“Well, Director, after I had the plague, Agent Gibbs was kind enough to let me stay with him while I recuperated. I did laundry and some of my things must have gotten in with his. That might explain my missing underwear, Boss.”

Gibbs rolled his eyes at Tony, “DiNozzo.”

“Yeah, Boss?”

“Go find all your things.”

“Sure thing, Boss,” Tony said, heading up the stairs.

“Why are you here, Director?” Gibbs asked.

“I came to make certain you were uninjured and offer a place to stay,” she gave him a sickeningly sweet smile.

“Hey, Boss, I hope you don’t mind, but I barrowed one of you bags I found to put my things in,” Tony said, coming back down the stairs.

“That’s fine, DiNozzo.”

“Hey, Fornell, is he free to go or does he need to stay?” Tony asked.

“Nope, he’s good to go,” Fornell said, hiding a smile from his two friends.

“Boss, why don’t you pack a bag and then we can head to my place.”

“Thanks, DiNozzo, appreciate the offer,” Gibbs said, as he headed upstairs to collect his things, leaving an unhappy Shepard behind.

******

It was late when Gibbs, McGee, and Tony returned to Tony’s apartment. Jimmy was already asleep on the pull out bed and Kate was asleep in one of Tony’s chairs. Tony put his keys back into the bowl and walked over to gently wake Kate up.

“Wha…,” she said, rubbing her eyes.

“Go take my bed, Kate. You can all go home tomorrow.”

“Yeah, all right, thanks Tony,” Kate said, as she left the room.

“Night, McGee. Come on Boss, I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

“Night,” McGee said, yawning.

Jethro followed Tony into the spare bedroom; the moment the door closed, Tony was kissing him. Jethro returned the kiss; he felt Tony move his hand down his back towards his ass, pulling them closer together. Tony moaned when Jethro bucked against him, but was stopped from going further when they realized that they were not alone in the apartment.

“Fuck, tomorrow when they all go home, we are so having sex,” Tony said, resting his forehead against Jethro’s.

“You better keep that promise, Tony.”

“Come on, let’s go to bed, baby,” Tony said, tugging Jethro towards the bed. Tony was grateful that he had gotten a queen size bed for the room Josh stayed in when they used the apartment. They curled up together, with Tony laying his head on Jethro’s chest, as the older man ran his fingers through his hair.

“Love you, Tony.”

“Mm… love you, too.”

The next morning, Jethro awoke to the sound of the bedroom door opening. During the night, Tony the octopus, had wrapped around him. He quickly signed to Abby, **later** and **quiet** , since he couldn’t get more elaborate with Tony wrapped around him. He watched her close the door and just hoped she wouldn’t say anything to the others.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Short chapter, but I haven't had much time the past few days to write.
> 
> For those who are here in the U.S., I hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July. For anyone not here in the U.S., I also hope you have a safe and happy weekend.

“Tony… Tony…” Jethro said.

“Mm…” was Tony’s response, as he snuggled closer to Jethro.

Jethro tried again, “Tony!”

“Yeah, baby, what’s wrong,” Tony said, half awake.

“We need to get up. Abby was in here a bit ago; she saw us.”

“Fuck,” Tony said, as he rolled on his back.

“Yeah.”

“Did she say anything?”

“No, I signed that I would talk to her later and told her to be quiet.”

“Yeah, but this is Abby we’re talking about.”

“I don’t think she will say anything until I talk to her, Tony,” Jethro said moving on to his back and tugging Tony on top of him.

Tony smiled down at him, “yeah, all right. Even if she does say something, it won’t be the end of the world.”

“You promised me sex, today.”

“Yeah, I did, but first we have to get rid of our house guests.”

“Yeah,” Jethro said as he bucked up into Tony.

“Jethro…” Tony moaned, capturing Jethro’s mouth in a passionate kiss. Thrusting his tongue into his lover’s mouth, he explored it while meeting Jethro’s thrusts. Jethro had worked his hand into Tony’s boxers and had it around his dick. Tony moaned again, but the knock on the door stopped them cold.

“Yeah,” Jethro said.

“Gibbs…Tony,” came Abby’s tentative voice through the door.

Jethro released Tony’s dick and pushed his lover off of him, “we’ll be out soon, Abby.”

“Okay.”

Tony was already getting dressed, when Jethro rolled out of bed. Finding his bag, Jethro quickly dressed and was headed towards the bedroom door when Tony stopped him, “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

The two men made their way to Tony’s kitchen where they heard taking and laughter.

“Hey, guys… something smells good,” Tony said.

“Kate and Abby made breakfast,” McGee said.

“That was nice, ladies,” Tony replied.

Tony and Jethro sat to eat the food that the two women made; Tony noticed Abby’s quiet behavior and wondered if she was going to be a problem for them.

As the four were readying to leave, Jethro approached Abby and spoke, “Hey, Abbs, are you okay?”

“No,” she said.

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not now; I’ll call you,” she said, kissing his cheek and leaving Tony’s apartment.

Tony wrapped his arms around Jethro from behind, “Everything all right?”

“I don’t know.”

“Let’s go back to bed, I did promise you sex.”

“Yeah, I hope you have lube here.”

Tony smiled and followed his lover out of the room.

******

With a Caff-Pow in hand, Gibbs entered Abby’s lab. It had been a week and Abby hadn’t talked to Gibbs or Tony other than work related subjects. He hoped he she would talk to him, but he wasn’t holding his breath.

“Hey, Abbs.”

“Oh, hey, Gibbs.”

“Abby, please talk to me.”

She turned to face him and blinked; in all the years of knowing Gibbs, he had never wanted to talk about anything. Inhaling deeply, she said, “how long?”

“A little over a year.”

“Wow… I thought I knew you.”

“Abbs.”

“Gibbs… I’m not mad; I’m just shocked. I walked in and found Tony wrapped around you… it… it was a shock. I know, I should have knocked louder, but… I’m so sorry Gibbs… don’t be mad at me,” she said in a rush.

Gibbs walked to Abby and hugged her, “I’m not mad at you. Is that why you’ve been so quiet with me?”

Abby bit her bottom lip and nodded.

“Abbs, I’m not mad.”

“All right Gibbs…is Tony mad at me?”

Gibbs gave her a small smile, “no, he’s not mad at you. He was worried you might tell everyone, but he cares about you Abby.”

Abby’s eyes went wide, “Gibbs, I would never tell anyone, without your permission.”

“I believe you Abby.”

Abby bit her lip, tentatively asking, “can I ask you something?”

“You can ask, might not answer.”

“Are you in love with him?”

A smile that Abby had never seen come from Gibbs before was her answer, but he said, “yeah, Abby, I am very much in love with Tony.”

“Good, you both deserve it,” she said, as she kissed him on the cheek.

Director Shepard slowly and quietly backed away from Abby’s lab. She had come down to speak to the her about hiring her an assistant, when she heard Jethro’s voice she did not enter the lab, instead listening to them talk. She returned to her office lost in thought; _Jethro is in love with a man; a man named Tony. DiNozzo. That would not do. Need to make plans to… need to be subtle, can’t be too obvious… transfer… no… undercover operation, maybe… investigate him… yes, need to learn everything about Tony DiNozzo._


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Sorry this is another short chapter.

A month after Gibbs killed Ari in his basement, Tony entered the bullpen two hours late to find a dark hair beauty sitting at his desk.

“Sorry I’m late, Boss. I had an appointment that couldn’t be rescheduled,” he said.

Gibbs just grunted; he already was aware of Tony’s meeting at Josh’s school.

Tony approached his desk, looking at the woman he said, “and you are….”

“Officer Ziva David, Mossad,” the woman said.

“Sitting at my desk, Officer David,” Tony replied.

“David—already told you to use the desk on the other side of McGee,” Gibbs said.

“Of course, Gibbs,” David said as she moved from Tony’s desk to the one pointed out by Gibbs.

After stowing his gear, Tony sat at his desk and booted up his computer. Checking his emails was first on his list; scanning through them he noticed an urgent one from the Director. Opening it, he began to read:

To: Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS

From: Director Jennifer Shepard, NCIS

Re: Reassignment

It has come to the attention of this office that you have never served in any other capacity while at NCIS. Your transfer to NCIS Field Office Europe and Africa Naples, Italy is effective immediately. You have seventy-two hours to report for duty.

Tony did not read any further, he quickly printed the letter out and handed it to Gibbs. Gibbs expression went stony as he stood and headed towards the stairs with Tony behind him.

“Back to work, DiNozzo.”

“Boss….”

“I’ll take care of it, Tony.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Once Gibbs was out of sight, McGee and Kate went to Tony’s desk, “Tony what’s going on?” Kate asked.

“I’m being transferred to Naples.”

“What? Why?”

“Not sure McGee, but Gibbs said he would take care of it. I need to start my letter of resignation if he can’t fix it.”

“Tony, you can’t quit.”

“Sorry Kate, but I can’t move to Naples… I have responsibilities here.”

Kate looked around before she responded, “I know, but what will you do?”

“Don’t worry about me, Kate, I always land on my feet,” he said, as he smiled at her.

“Tony...” McGee started, but Tony stopped him, “McGee it’ll be fine, promise.”

Kate and McGee returned to their desks, neither noticing Ziva sending a quick text message.

Ziva didn’t like the situation; it wasn’t right, but she had little say over the matter. Her father wanted her to infiltrate and gain a place inside NCIS, but it was an odd situation, as NCIS and Mossad had a good working relationship. Shepard had requested that Ziva report to her regarding anything odd with the MCRT members saying she believed they were to close for appropriate behavior. She would do as asked for now; however, she refused to be played by anyone.

******

Gibbs stormed into the Director’s office without knocking and slammed the door shut after him.

“Well, hello Jethro, nice of you to knock.”

“Cut the crap, Jenny. What the hell is this?” he said, handing the letter Tony had given him.

Calmly taking the letter from him, she glanced at it, “It is a notice to Agent DiNozzo of his immediate transfer, Jethro.”

“Jenny,” he said, warningly.

“Jethro, it is my prerogative to transfer any active field agent I deem fit to fill an open position. Other Directors have done so; this is nothing new.”

“Yeah, but not without asking them if they wish to transfer.”

“I don’t have to ask, he signed an agreement to be transferred to whatever post he would be needed. He is needed in Naples.”

“Is this a promotion or is it lateral?”

She hesitated before answering, “lateral.”

“Damnit Jenny, why would you move someone laterally? I could understand the move if it was a promotion, but this looks suspicious. You bring in David, add her to my team, without my consent, and then send my senior field agent to Naples. What the hell is really going on?”

“He needs more experience, Jethro. You are holding him back.”

“He’ll quit, if you do this Jenny.”

“That is his decision, Jethro.”

“If he quits, I’ll quit.”

“Jethro… fine, he stays, but so does Ziva.”

“Fine,” Gibbs said, before leaving her office and slamming the door on his way out.

_Damnit… knew it wouldn’t be that easy… but at least Ziva is now on his team… he would fight me on that issue… she can keep an eye on them… report back… all I need is evidence of their affair._

******

“DiNozzo, my office, now,” Gibbs said, as he entered the bullpen headed towards the elevator.

“On your six, Boss.” Tony followed Gibbs into the elevator, the moment the elevator started to move Gibbs used the emergency stop, halting the elevator’s movements.

“Jethro?” Tony asked.

“You’re not being transferred, but we have to keep David on the team.”

“Is that why a Mossad officer is in our bullpen?”

“Yeah, the Director added her this morning. I was going to fight it, but now, I can’t.”

“Jethro, I can still resign. I have other options.”

“I know, Tony, but I don’t want you to leave. I already told the Director I would quit if you left.”

“Jethro, I don’t want you to do that.”

“I know you don’t, but it’s what I would do,” Jethro said, starting the elevator again. Leaving the elevator and returning to his desk, Gibbs shouted, “McGee.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Get David set-up with a computer. DiNozzo get her briefed on proper NCIS and U.S. Law Enforcement procedures.”

“On it, Boss,” Tony and McGee said in unison.


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

“How is life, Tony?” Neal asked.

Tony was sitting on Neal and Peter’s couch playing with Zoey, while Jethro and Peter were outside getting the barbeque started. Since the other couple moved to D.C., Tony and Jethro had been having regular dinner with them. At first it was awkward, having dinner with your ex’s new spouse, but Tony relaxed after a bit and started to really enjoy Peter’s company. Jethro even liked him and that was high praise coming from Gibbs.

“Good,” Tony answered.

“You seem distracted.”

Tony didn’t respond immediately as he was making faces at Zoey, who was giggling at him.

“Tony?” Neal asked.

“I almost got transferred to Naples.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” Tony said, flinching, “our new director wanted me gone. She tried to send me to Naples, but Jethro threatened to quit and she backed down.”

“Why would she want to send you to Naples?”

“I don’t know, so how is life treating you?” Tony said, trying to change the subject.

“Good,” Neal said, as he watched Tony blow raspberries on Zoey’s tummy. “Do you ever…” Neal started to say, but stopped.

“Do I ever what?”

“Do you ever regret that we didn’t have more kids?”

“Sometimes.”

“You’re a good father, Tony. You and Jethro could always have a kid.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that is in the cards. We would have to either adopt or find a surrogate and you know how I am.”

Neal huffed out a laugh, “yeah, I do.”

“You do what, Neal?” Peter asked, as he, Jethro, and Josh came into the room.

“Hey,” Neal said, as he gave Peter a kiss, “I know how Tony is.”

“About what?” Jethro asked.

“We were talking about you and I having kids, but I told him that we would have to either adopt or find a surrogate. I was a bit possessive when Neal was pregnant with Josh; I don’t think I could handle a surrogate carrying my child.”

“A little possessive, that is an understatement. You were like an octopus,” Neal laughed at the scowl Tony sent him.

“Still is,” Jethro said.

“Hey,” Tony said, as he handed Zoey to her father and walked towards his lover, “you’re not helping.”

“Wasn’t trying to help.”

“Really,” Tony said, giving Jethro a kiss, “so what were the three of you discussing while you were outside?”

“Talked about Jethro and I, taking Josh camping and fishing,” Peter said.

“When?” Tony and Neal asked at the same time.

“Have to coordinate our schedules. Probably not until Josh is out for summer,” Jethro said, as he headed back outside to check on dinner.

“That might work. I’m supposed to have a show in New York in July,” Neal murmured.

“Well, we can work around that,” Peter said.

“Let’s eat,” Jethro said, as he carried in a plate of steak he had been grilling.

******

Jethro pulled up to his house after a long day at work to find someone parked in his driveway. Making his way up the front steps to his porch he found Jenny sitting on his swing. He was grateful that Tony was at his apartment collecting his mail and checking on things. Taking a deep breath, “why are you here, Director?”

“I came to see you, Jethro,” she said as she approached him.

“What do you need?”

“You,” she said, as she leaned into him trying to kiss him.

Jethro artfully dodged her kiss and move away from her, “not happening.”

“We were good together, Jethro. We could be good together again.”

“I’m not interested. Keep it up and I’ll report you.”

“Are you seeing someone else?”

“None of your business, Director. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a boat to work on.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Tony, who had driven up, unnoticed by them. “Sorry to interrupt Boss, but could I stay with you for a few days… um… my water heater went out, again.”

“Yeah, but you need to get that damn thing replaced, DiNozzo.”

“Blame my landlord, Boss. He’s kind of tight with his money.”

Gibbs just huffed as he opened his door and let Tony in, “you know where to stow your stuff and you’re buying dinner.”

“Sure thing Boss. Director, it’s a pleasure to see you.”

Once Tony was out of sight, Gibbs turned to the Director, “Jenny, go home. I’m not interested in any form of relationship with you, but professional.” He shut the door and locked it, hopeful she would take the hint. He entered his living room and found arms wrapped around him, pulling him flush with the body behind him.

Nuzzling his neck, Tony said, “so, what did she want, Jethro?”

“Me.”

“Really, what did you tell her?”

“That… um… I’m not… that feels so good, Tony.”

“You are not what?”

“Um… oh, not interested in her. Told her to go home.”

“Good,” Tony said as he continued to nibble on his lover’s neck.

“Tony you don’t have to be jealous. You know I wouldn’t cheat.”

“Oh, I know that, baby. I trust you; I don’t trust her. She is up to something. Come on, let’s go take a shower, dinner won’t be here for an hour.”

“I have a feeling this isn’t going to be a Marine shower.”

“Nope.”

******

“Damnit,” Jenny said. She needed to catch them in the act, but she couldn’t do that unless she broke into the house. _If DiNozzo hadn’t show up when he did… Jethro was wavering._ Her phone rang, answering it, “yes,” she snapped.

“Director Shepard—this is David Marcus.”

Marcus the Private Investigator she hired to find dirt on DiNozzo. She would have used agency resources, but that might have raised red flags and she wanted this to be quiet. “Yes, Mister Marcus, did you find anything?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Could we meet?”

“Yes—when?” she asked.

“Tonight.”

“That is perfect. Where?”

“My office, if you want.”

“I’ll see you in about an hour,” she said, right before she ended the call.

******

David Marcus didn’t like the situation. He wouldn’t have taken the client on if he hadn’t owed her father a favor. Her father might have died, but Marcus believed in fulfilling his promises and favors. Once he turned over his work to her, he was done with the case. There were too many unknowns and something in the kid’s background had been buried so deep that he had to make deals with people he did not want to owe; he hoped that what he found was enough dirt on DiNozzo to get Shepard off his back. He was disappearing right after he was done with her, anyway. The knock on his door drew his attention back to the present. “Come,” he said.

Jenny Shepard walked into his office with a smug smile on her face, “I was grateful to hear from you, Mister Marcus.”

“Of course, please have a seat.”

“What did you find?” she said taking the offered seat.

“He is divorced from a man named Neal Burke, nee Caffrey. They have a son, named Joshua DiNozzo, he was born when they were in college. He has four degrees—two undergraduates, a masters, and a PhD. There is an FBI file on him that was buried deep, it took some favors to get it. I’ve put it all in there,” he said, nodding to the file in her hand.

“This is very thorough—he was a male prostitute… oh, this will really help my case against him. Thank you, Mister Marcus.”

“I’m done; you know that right?”

“Yes… did you keep copies of any of this?”

“No… I gave you all the originals… I don’t want to be a part of this.”

“Good, good. Here,” she said, handing him a thick envelope, “is your final payment. I would suggest you leave the area.”

The smirk she gave him sent chills down his spine, “I plan on it,” he said as he took the envelope from her.

“You can count it, but I assure you it’s all there.”

“I believe you.”

“Good-bye, Mister Marcus.”

“Yeah,” he said, as he shivered. Once she left his office, he tossed the envelope into his bag and left, heading home. He quickly packed his bags and deciding he needed to transfer the money from Shepard’s envelope to something else, he dumped the money on to his bed. Counting it quickly, he found the full five-thousand he asked for, stuffing most of it into his carry-on he put the rest in his wallet. He grabbed his bags and headed towards his car, he had a flight to catch.

******

“Good evening, this is a ZNN breaking news story. D.C. Metro have confirmed that prominent Washington Private Investigator David Marcus was killed this evening, when his car ran a red light and a semi slammed into his vehicle. The cause of the accident is under investigation; we will bring you updates as they become available.”

Jenny Shepard smiled as she turned her television off and reached for her glass of bourbon, taking a sip of it and toasting to her success. She would have Jethro—eventually.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> I know two chapters in one day. This is the second post for 7/4.

“Have you found him yet?” Adler asked.

“Yes,” Senior hesitated.

“What is the problem?”

“He’s a federal agent and both of our passports have been flagged.”

“What about Neal?”

“He’s in Virginia as well, but he is married to an FBI Agent and has another child.”

“Did you receive the DNA report on the boy?”

“Yeah—he’s Tony’s son, not yours.” Senior flinched when the glass Adler threw shattered behind him.

“Damnit… well, this should still work out. We just arrange for the kidnapping of Neal and the boy. The boy is a breeder, right?”

“Yes… look I’m all for helping you get Neal back and even Tony if you want, but the boy… he’s….”

“He’s what?”

“Nothing… he’s nothing.”

“Good answer. Now I need you to meet with someone who can help us gain access to them.”

Senior just nodded; he was in serious trouble, Adler had connections all over the world and he owed the man. He considered turning himself in, but he would end up dead before he could tell his story. Best to keep his head down and help him collect Neal and the boy.

******

Jenny called Ziva into her office; she needed to know if the Mossad Officer had found anything useful to use against DiNozzo. She had the file from Marcus, but she needed other evidence. If she used the file there would be questions on how she obtained the information; she would give the file to Jethro and when he read it—well, DiNozzo would be out on the street so fast. The knock on the door pulled her from her musings.

“Enter.”

“You wished to see me, Director,” Ziva said, entering the office.

“Yes, Ziva. Please come in and shut the door. Have a seat,” Jenny said, pointing to the chair in front of her desk.

Ziva sat, but kept her guard up; the Director had been acting off for some time now. She did not trust her. “What did you wish to speak to me about?”

“You have been on Gibbs’ team now for, what three months?”

“Yes, that would be correct.”

“I just wanted to check and see how things are working out. You haven’t given me anymore information on the working of the team.”

“It has been fine. We have had our ups and sideways.”

“You mean downs. Ups and downs.”

“Ah—yes, of course, ups and downs.”

“Have you noticed any sort of favoritism from Agent Gibbs?”

“Yes.”

“Really—towards who?”

“Abby.”

Jenny blinked at that, “I meant towards someone on the team.”

“No.”

Jenny wanted to beat her head against her desk, “Ziva, may I be frank here?”

“You wish for me to call you Frank?” Ziva questioned.

Trying to control her temper Jenny smiled as Ziva, “It’s an expression Ziva. It means to be blunt.”

“Oh… then yes, you may be frank,” Ziva said.

“Thank you,” Jenny said, gritting her teeth, “I’m worried that Gibbs is favoring one member of his team over the others and I don’t mean Abby or Ducky.”

“Who?”

“DiNozzo.”

“I do not believe so, Director,” Ziva said with conviction, “he is perhaps hardest on Tony.”

_Damnit_ — “how so?”

“He expects more of Tony. He makes certain that Tony stays on the road.”

“You mean he keeps him from becoming sidetracked.”

“Ah… yes. If Tony becomes sidetracked, Gibbs always steps in and brings him back on the road.”

“On track.”

“Yes, on track.”

“Well, then I seem to be worried about nothing at the moment. Thank you, Ziva.”

“Of course, Director,” Ziva said, as she rose from her chair and headed towards the door.

“Oh, and Ziva—keep this to yourself.”

Ziva just nodded, opening the door and leaving Jenny alone.

“Damnit,” Jenny said, she needed something on DiNozzo. There had to be a way to get to him that would not involve using the file. Perhaps his ex would be willing to talk about him. Ex’s usually had bad things to say about one another. Well, she didn’t have anything bad to say about Jethro, but she didn’t consider herself his ex. They just hadn’t been together—if anything, Jethro was cheating on her with DiNozzo. She was drawn from her thoughts when her personal phone vibrated. She pulled it out, thinking it was a call but instead found a text message:

411 DiNozzo MIRL TAM

Jenny returned the text asking where and what time, “Rock Creek Park—4a.m.,” she read. Well, she would have to be prepared for a set-up, but she wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to find more dirt on DiNozzo.

******

Kate Moreau paced nervously in Rock Creek Park just before four o’clock in the morning. She hated Adler for making her do this, she didn’t have a choice though; he would make certain she died if she didn’t help him. She watched for the woman she was to meet and give the information. She spotted the woman right away, as the woman approached Kate, she could see she had a gun pointed at her.

“Put that away,” Kate hissed at her.

“I don’t think so.”

“Damnit, I’m here to help you— put it away before someone sees you.”

The woman seemed to consider it, before she slipped it into her coat pocket.

“All right, what did you have to tell me,” the redheaded woman said.

“I have a proposition for you.”

“Do tell.”

“My—employer would like to help you with your little problem.”

“Cut to the chase.”

“Fine… he wants Neal and Josh. You help him and he’ll help you get rid of DiNozzo.”

“DiNozzo’s ex and their son, why does he want them?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, I suppose it doesn’t. What do I need to do?” the woman said with a shark like smile.

“It’s all in this file. Everything you will need to help him,” Kate handed her the envelope.

“How do I contact you if I have any questions?”

“There is an untraceable phone in the envelope, use it only for contact with me. Dump your other phone, we wouldn’t want those messages to come back to haunt us.”

“No we wouldn’t, what do I call you?”

Kate hesitated for a moment, “Kate.”

“Good, I’m Jenny.”

“I know,” Kate said backing away from the woman slowly, not wanting to turn her back to Jenny.

“Smart girl,” Jenny said.

******

As soon as the girl was out of view, Jenny turned around and returned to her car. She waited until she was at home in her locked office before opening the envelope. She dumped out the contents, finding the phone the girl told her about, a USB flash drive, and a file folder. She pulled out her spare laptop and plugged the USB drive into it; she blinked several times before a smile began to grace her face, this was perfect. She quickly opened the file folder to find information on two flagged passports and instructions on what was required of her.

She would need time to implement all of the plan. It could not be done overnight, but once it was done she would have Jethro and DiNozzo would be either dead or in custody. She really didn’t care which, as long as she got Jethro. He wouldn’t stay with someone who was a criminal. Closing the file and shutting down the drive and computer she placed it all in her safe and sent a text message to the girl.

******

Kate read the text message. She called Adler immediately to inform him of the news.

“Kate, is it done?”

“Yes, but she said she will need time.”

“How much time?”

“Two—three months.”

“Very well. You will make the arrangements for our guests.”

Kate swallowed, “yes, sir.”

“Good girl.”

Kate needed to make plans to get herself out of this mess; she was under no illusions that after her part was done, she would be dead. The extra time that the bitch needed was just want Kate needed to make her own plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I really hate text messages. I tend to spell everything out, so I had know idea how to do one that was shorthand. I looked it up:  
> 411--information  
> MIRL--Meet in real life  
> TAM--Tomorrow a.m.
> 
> Sorry if it's not right, but as I said I hate text messages. I would rather talk to someone on the phone than write to them. I do use them, but ugh.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Tony was at his desk reviewing cold cases, when he heard the unmistakable sound of Kate, McGee, and Ziva exiting the elevator. He had been at work for several hours waiting for them to arrive. Gibbs was up in MTAC with Director Shepard working on some op she insisted he was crucial to its success. Not that he believed the woman, she just wanted to be close to Gibbs and would use any excuse she could find. Tony smiled at his teammates as they approached the bullpen.

“You’re late,” he said.

Kate looked at her watch and rolled her eyes at him, “Only by five minutes.”

“Boss is in MTAC all day. Were on cold cases, until further notice,” Tony pointed to their desks with stacks of files on each of them. He returned to his own cold case file as he heard his three teammates groan, “yeah, that’s what I said, too.”

Tony spent the next hour working on his file when he noticed something familiar. Robbie, the picture in the file looked like Robbie, one of Adler’s minions. He needed to find out more about the man in the file, because he sure as hell looked like a slightly older Robbie. He looked at his teammates, they were all absorbed in their own case files. Searching for the service record of the man in the file, he pulled it up and began to read. The man’s name was Thomas Roberts, he had joined the Marines only two years after Tony and Neal fled Adler and he was murdered a year before Tony joined NCIS. It was possible that he was involved with illegal activities while in the military, but it could also have been Adler cleaning house. Making a decision, Tony grabbed his phone and headed towards the elevator, “I need to talk to Abby about a case; I’ll be back.”

“All right, Tony,” Kate said.

Once Tony was on the elevator, he sent a text to Toby asking to meet with him as soon as possible. He received a reply immediately that he could meet in an hour at a nearby coffee house. Tony sent a text to Gibbs to tell him he was going to meet Toby and would return as soon as he could. He headed to Abby’s lab, needing to ask her for a favor.

“Abbs, I need a favor.”

“What’s up, Tony?”

“Can you enlarge these photos from this case file?”

“Possible, why?”

“I think I may have seen something, but I just can’t tell. Can you do it?”

“Yeah, I can try. It might take some time to do it.”

“That’s fine, thanks Abby,” he said kissing her on the cheek.

He quickly left the building headed towards the coffee house that Fornell directed him to; finding Toby already in there with coffee for both of them. He took a seat across from his friend, pushing the file towards Toby, “six-year-old cold case.”

Toby took the file from Tony and reviewed it, “okay, what am I looking for Tone?”

“The Marine in those photos, I know him. He worked for Adler.”

“Are you sure?”

“Once Abby enlarges the photos, I will be.”

“How would that help?”

“He… um… had a scar in an… um… intimate area. I kind of got acquainted with it.”

“TMI, Tone.”

“You asked. Anyway, if it is him, could it be possible that Adler had him killed?”

“Anything is possible but probable, I don’t know.”

“Yeah. Damnit, I need to know. I only knew the guy by the name Robbie.”

“Probably a nickname.”

“The file is light on background information. Let me make certain it is Robbie and then I’ll let you know.”

“All right, Tone… oh… hey, does Gibbs know you are talking to me?”

“Yeah, don’t worry Toby, you won’t be getting any calls or visits from a jealous Jethro,” Tony smirked at him.

******

When Tony returned to his desk, Gibbs still was not back from MTAC. He started to look into Thomas Roberts hoping to find a clue as to his murder. Several hours later his phone rang, “DiNozzo.”

“Hey, Tony. I have those photos you wanted. Want me to email them to you?”

“Yes, please. Thanks, Abby.”

“No problem.”

Tony opened the email searching the photos for the one he wanted; finding it he double checked and was not surprised to find he was right, this was Robbie. Tony took the time to examine all the photos that Abby had enlarged for him, he looked at one from his autopsy that was of an impression on his skin. It looked familiar to Tony, closing his eyes he thought back—Mitch. _Fuck…that ring Mitch would wear. It was sharp as hell… still have a scar from it._

Tony sent a text to Toby about his find, but there was little he could do to bring Mitch to justice. He didn’t know the man’s real name and technically he would be a witness on not an investigator. “Damnit,” he said.

“Tony?” Kate asked.

Maybe he didn’t need to find it, “found something, but not sure what it could mean.”

“Put it on the plasma,” Ziva said.

“Sure.”

His three teammates approached the screen and began to examine the pictures that Tony put up for them.

“What is that?” Ziva asked, pointing at the impression Tony noticed too.

“Not sure… maybe a ring could have made it,” Kate replied.

“Tony did Abby enlarge these?” McGee asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Just thinking… if the killer left that impression, he could have left it on others, if he’s killed before.”

“Is there a way to cross reference it with other cold cases or even solved cases?” Tony asked.

“Maybe, can I see the file?” McGee asked.

“Sure,” Tony handed him the file.

“It’ll probably take some time.”

“Been dead for six years, I doubt he’s going anywhere.”

******

Later that night in bed, Jethro asked Tony about his need to visit Fornell.

“Jealous?” Tony asked, staring down at his lover.

“Not hardly.”

“I might have found a link to an old cold case. Needed Toby’s advice.”

“Couldn’t wait for me?” Jethro asked.

“Baby, I would rather be making love to you, not talking about a six-year-old cold case and Toby, right now.”

“Tony.”

“Fine,” Tony said, rolling off Jethro, “I recognized the dead Marine as one of Adler’s minions. He joined about two years after Neal and I ran. He was killed a year before I met you. I may know who killed him, but I only know a face and a first name.”

“Who?”

“The guy was Mitch, another one of Adler’s minions. Mitch… was mean. There was an impression on the body that looked familiar to me… it reminded me of a ring Mitch wore. That damn thing was sharp and hurt like a bitch when he hit with it.”

“He hit you?”

“Yeah. Jethro… I’ve been hit before… kind of the reason for the no head slap rule,” Tony turned his head and smiled.

“Tony….”

“Jethro,” Tony said, straddling his lover, “I’m not making light of what happened to me, but I can’t continue to live in the past. Yeah, a lot of crap happened to me, but I survived and I will not let Adler or my father or some other dick run my life, because of something that happened in the past. I want to deal with the future, with you.”

Jethro just nodded, accepting the kiss Tony gave him. They continued to kiss, gentle at first but with more passion as time went on. Jethro moaned when Tony pulled away, “not going anywhere, baby, just getting the lube and condom.”

“Yes... please Tony,” Jethro said as Tony began to push one finger into him.

“What do you want, baby?”

“You… please Tony, fuck,” Jethro said as Tony added a second finger, stretching him more and finding his prostate and brushing over it several times before pulling out and adding a third finger. He spent several more minutes stretching and driving his lover crazy, before he removed his fingers and went to roll the condom on, but he was stopped by Jethro, “don’t Tony.”

“Jethro?”

“Were both clean and haven’t been with anyone else since we started to see each other; I want….”

“All right, baby,” Tony said as he tossed the condom away and returned to driving his lover crazy.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> So, this chapter is sappy and happy... sort of a happy/sappy or maybe it's sappy/happy. Oh, well, it is both happy and sappy.

“Neal!” Peter shouted.

Neal rolled out of bed, headed towards the closet where Peter was sorting through clothes. “Yes, love,” Neal said.

“Where is my favorite suit?”

“At the dry cleaners, Peter.”

“What? Why?”

Neal sighed, “because I didn’t have time to pick it up for you, yet.”

“I….”

“Don’t Peter. I’ve been busy with the kids and trying to prepare for my show in New York in a few weeks. I’m sorry, I’ll get it today.”

Peter grabbed Neal’s hand, pulling him into a hug, “no, sweetheart, I should be sorry. I should have gotten it myself. I forgot about your show; I’m sorry, Neal.”

“It’s all right Peter. I haven’t had a lot of energy lately and I should have reminded you about getting the suit.”

Peter looked at his husband closely; he had been busy for several weeks and hadn’t had been able to spend as much time as normal with him. He looked tired and pale. “Neal, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Peter.”

“Neal….”

Peter held him tighter when he tried to move away, “I think I might be pregnant again.”

“Really?” Peter’s eyes lit up at Neal’s words.

“Um… you wouldn’t be mad if I was?”

“Mad, why would I be mad, Neal? It would be great for Zoey to have a little brother or sister. Do you not want another baby?”

“Yes, I just didn’t think it would be this soon. Zoey isn’t even a year old yet. This will also put my career on hold, again.”

Peter walked them over to the bed; sitting down he pulled Neal into his lap, “sweetheart, I love you. I love Zoey. I love Josh. I know the timing isn’t great, but neither of us is getting younger, it might be the best time to have another baby.”

Neal put his head on Peter’s shoulder and was comforted as his husband held him tighter. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Why didn’t you and Tony have more kids?” Peter blurted out.

Neal smiled against his husband’s shoulder, “timing. At first, school and then work. I think by the time either of us thought about it, it was obvious our relationship was over. I do sort of regret not giving Josh a full sibling, but I can’t turn back time.”

“No, we can’t. I shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be Peter. I have to accept that the past is the past, it might have sucked, but it also had some great thing in it.”

“You still love him, don’t you?”

“Peter, please don’t start with the jealousy again.”

“I’m not Neal. I guess… if I wasn’t in the picture you would have gotten back together.”

“Peter, Tony and I discussed that before I even meet you again. We both decided it was best for us to not be together.”

“I understand that Neal, but you are both different people now… if Jethro and I weren’t in the picture anymore….”

“I’m different because of you, Peter. Tony’s different because of Jethro. You have made me a better person Peter Burke and I love you for it. Please don’t think I want Tony back… I can’t deal with that again.”

Peter’s eyes widened at that, “I don’t Neal. I’m—just being stupid, sweetheart. I love you,” he said, kissing his husband for a bit, until Neal pushed away. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Bathroom, now,” Neal said, pushing Peter away and running towards the bathroom.

Peter just smiled at his husband; he would need to stock-up on ginger ale and crackers.

******

“Dad, is Jethro all right?” Josh asked.

“Yeah, just the flu,” Tony said.

Josh cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows at his father, “for the last four weeks?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been here every weekend for the last four weeks and he has thrown-up for the last four weekends, I doubt it’s the flu, dad.”

“I would have noticed, Josh.”

“I think he has been hiding it from you; I’ve just caught it because I was upstairs while you were out running or making breakfast.”

“Oh… shit… um… I….”

“Articulate dad. Might want to go check on him.”

“Ha Ha, Josh,” Tony shouted, as he climbed the stairs to find his lover. He found him back in bed, which was unusual for Jethro. “Want to tell me what’s going on Jethro?”

“It’s just the flu, Tony.”

“Jethro….”

“Tony….”

Tony sighed, “how long have you been sick, Jethro?”

Jethro closed his eyes, “for about a month. I’ve never been sick in my life, Tony. I’ve been injured, yes… hell, I’ve even been drunk, but never sick.”

“I know, baby,” Tony said, running his fingers through his lover’s hair.

“I need to see a doctor, don’t I?”

“Yes, but probably not because you are dying.”

“You can’t know that, Tony. My mom… she… killed herself, but she was dying from cancer. I remember her getting sick.”

“Yeah, mine did too, but I think I know what is causing you to be sick.”

“That feels good,” Jethro said, as Tony continued to run his fingers through the other man’s hair.

“I know. Do you want to know what I think it is?”

“No.”

“Jethro….”

“Tony….”

“Fine, how about this— we have Ducky or Abby run some lab work on you.”

“Abby.”

“Can she draw blood?”

“I think so, call her.”

“All right, Jethro,” Tony said, as he got up and left the room to call her.

******

“Abby, thanks for coming,” Tony said, as he opened the door to let the woman inside.

“Sure thing, Tony. I brought everything that you asked me for, but… no questions… right. Here have him… um… well….”

“Yeah, I know what he as to do, Abbs. I’ll bring it right back down,” Tony said, heading up the stairs.

Abby looked around the room; she hadn’t been in Gibbs’ house in a long time and she could see the slight changes that Tony must have made. She saw a teenaged boy in the kitchen; walking towards him, she smiled and introduced herself.

“Joshua DiNozzo, but everyone calls me Josh.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Josh. Your dad doesn’t talk about you much.”

“Yeah, I know— he’s kind of private and protective.”

“I know, tell me about it. I’ve been trying for months to get him to come to bowling night, but he won’t do it. I even told him to bring you, but he said no.”

“You have a bowling night?”

“Oh, yeah, I bowl with the nuns.”

“Oh— that sounds like fun. What night is it?”

“Usually, Friday night, but it depends.”

“Dad doesn’t really like hanging out with people he doesn’t know well. Might be why he always says no.”

Abby’s eyes widened, “huh… doesn’t seem like the Tony I know. The nuns are really nice and they tell really cool stories.”

“Maybe next time we’ll come, Abbs,” Tony said, from behind her.

“Tony!” Abby said, as she jumped.

“Sorry, here,” he said, handing her the sample cup.

She took it from him and headed towards the counter with her things. Finding what she needed, she dipped the pregnancy test into cup and waited. She turned towards Tony and just nodded her head.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. He won’t believe me. Do you think….”

“Um… okay,” Abby said, taking her things and following Tony up the stairs to find Gibbs.

“Jethro?” Tony said.

“Come in.”

“Hey, Gibbs,” Abby said from behind Tony.

Gibbs just rolled his eyes at the Goth scientist; she smiled at him and bounded into the room sitting next to him on the bed and hugging him.

“What did you find in that sample, Abbs?”

“Um… well, I used…” she began.

“Abby,” Gibbs snapped.

“Sorry, you are pregnant, Gibbs.”

Gibbs closed his eyes, letting Abby go, she stood and let Tony take her place.

“Jethro, it’ll be fine. I promise. This doesn’t change anything.”

“Doesn’t it, Tony? How can it not?”

“Gibbs did you know that you were a…” Abby began, but stopped when Tony shot her a look.

Jethro just shook his head; Abby had never seen him look so lost, it worried her. She swallowed down her natural desire to comfort him, instead saying, “I’ll leave you two to talk. Do you need anything else?”

“No. Thank you Abby,” Gibbs said.

“No problem, boss-man,” she said, as she approached the two men and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek. Whispering in Gibbs’ ear, “I’ll be fine, Gibbs.”

After Abby left the room, Tony prodded the other man to lay down on his side so they were facing each other. He gently stroked Jethro’s face, looking him in the eyes, he asked, “what do you want to do, Jethro?”

Jethro blinked at Tony; he hadn’t even thought of anything but have the baby. A baby, he shook his head trying to wrap his head around the idea. “How, Tony?” he asked.

“I don’t know how it was missed, baby. I know they test when you join the military, but it’s not foolproof. I do know that I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here for you, no matter what happens.”

“Tony, I’ll lose my job over this.”

“No you won’t. I’ll make sure of that. They can’t fire you for this. Yes, you need to be on desk duty, but you can still work and once the baby’s born you can go back into the field.”

“Tony, we can’t let anyone know that the baby is yours. They won’t let us on the same team.”

“That won’t matter, Jethro. Once the baby is here, I’ll quit.”

“Tony— no.”

Tony moved closer to his lover, framing his face with his hands, he held his gaze, “I’m quitting anyway, Jethro. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I’ve been working a dangerous job since I graduated college— I never thought of what it would do to Josh, if I died. I know he would still have Neal, Peter, and you, but I’m his father and I need to be here for him. With this baby,” Tony said, placing his hand over Jethro’s still flat belly, “I will get to do something I didn’t get to with Josh; I get to be there all the time and Josh is getting close to fifteen and soon he will be off at college and then having kids of his own. I can spend time with him and our baby. This baby— I can’t… no, I won’t let our child grow-up without me and I won’t ask you to quit a job you love either.”

“Tony, I don’t want you to quit a job you love, for me.”

“I know Jethro, but it isn’t just for you, it’s for me too. I missed a lot with Josh because of work, I don’t want to do that again.”

“What if— I missed a lot with Kelly, too. Not sure if I can do that again.”

Tony kissed him, “Let’s take this a day at a time. If you want to quit after the baby is here, that’s fine. Whatever you want, all right?”

Jethro yawned, “sorry, tired.”

“Get some sleep, Jethro,” Tony said, moving to leave the bed.

“Stay.”

Tony just smiled at his lover and pulled him into his arms, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace of just being happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Abby come help instead of Ducky, because I think Ducky would have sidelined Gibbs right away. Abby will keep her mouth shut and Tony will work on getting Gibbs to slow down, but if Ducky barreled in and told Gibbs what to do, I think he would have been more stubborn and not want to back down. I know that Ducky is just doing what he thinks is best, but some people will dig in their heals if they think you are dictating to them. I decided that Tony should be the one to Jethro instead of Ducky putting his foot down. Not picking on Ducky... just that I think he can be overbearing, at times. I hope that makes sense. I'll stop rambling now.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Tony awoke to Jethro staring at him with a serious expression on his face. He considered his lover before he spoke, “what’s wrong?”

“I hate talking about feelings.”

“I know,” Tony said, smiling at him.

“But, we need to talk.”

“Yeah,” Tony said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. He didn’t quite know where this conversation was going, but he certainly hoped it wouldn’t leave him out in the cold.

Jethro moved to sit next to Tony, grabbing his hand and threading their fingers together, squeezing his hand, “Tony, I’m not Neal.”

“I know that.”

“I can’t be like he was, Tony.”

“I’m not sure I understand, Jethro?”

“I love you, but I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Be a… um,” Jethro said, unable to finish his sentence.

Tony was silent as he tried to puzzle out what had Jethro so confused and frustrated. He was at a loss as to what Jethro was trying to say, but before he could say that, Jethro blurted out, “I don’t want to be called mom.”

Tony thumped his head against the headboard and began to laugh. He continued to laugh until he had tears in his eyes, not noticing the dark look that crossed Jethro’s face. When he finally stopped laughing he wiped his eyes he turned to find Jethro glaring at him. “Baby, I’m sorry, but….”

“Don’t… this isn’t funny, Tony,” Jethro snapped at him.

“That wasn’t what I was laughing at, it’s just that I had a similar conversation with Neal.”

Gibbs just glared at him, so Tony continued, “I came home one day and found Neal pissed off because he received a letter that called him mom. So, I’ll tell you what I told Neal; whatever you want the kid to call you is fine by me. I would prefer that I get dad or daddy, but that is mostly because Josh already calls me that. Might be a bit confusing for one to call me one thing and the other to call me something else,” Tony said, smiling at Jethro.

Jethro sighed, “I wouldn’t mind being called Papa, but I just can’t wrap my head around mom. I just….”

“Did you think I told Neal he had to go by mom, Jethro?” Jethro wouldn’t look at Tony, “dammit, Jethro. Do you really think I’m that much of an asshole? I told you that we are together in this.”

“I know, Tony. I don’t know what’s… dammit….”

“Come here,” Tony said, holding his arms open, Jethro crawled into them. Tony hugged him and kissing the top of his head, “I will do whatever you want Jethro. I want you and I want this baby, even if we weren’t planning on it. I know this is going to be difficult for you, but don’t shut me out, please.”

“I need time, Tony.”

Tony sighed, releasing his lover, he left the bed and began to pace the room, “I know you need time. I know this is a big adjustment for you and it has been less than a day, but I did this once before and gave space and time to someone I was in love with and lost him.” Tony stopped pacing and looked Jethro straight in the eyes, “I won’t… I can’t do that again, Jethro. I sacrificed a lot for Neal… I sacrificed my needs to help him… I sacrificed my desires to help him… I’m not mad at him… not anymore; we were both screwed up at the time,” Tony was stopped from saying more when Jethro rose from the bed and kissed him.

The kiss was full of passion and desires, both men were breathing hard when they separated in need of air. “I’m sorry, Tony. I didn’t mean for you to think I was going to push you away. I just need some time, because when Shannon was pregnant I was on the other side of it. I’m not making sense,” he muttered.

“I think I get it. Jethro nothing is going to change between us. I’m not going to go all asshole on you and tell you what to do or treat you like I think you are less. I want you to be happy, baby. I love you so much.” Tony started to back Jethro towards the bed, but just before they reached it he turned his lover so that when they landed on the bed, Jethro was on top of him. He smiled up at him, Jethro returned the smile, kissing him again, slow and sweet. Breaking apart, Jethro went to move off of Tony, but was stopped when Tony spoke, “stay.”

“Tony, you….”

“Make me forget, Jethro.”

“Tony,” Jethro said in awe.

“Please. Just you and me. Nothing and no one else between us.”

Jethro swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, “all right, love.” He slowly and carefully relaxed Tony, assuring himself that his lover was comfortable with what they were doing. “I love you,” he whispered against Tony’s skin as he peppered kisses against it; not leaving one spot untouched by his lips. He carefully removed Tony’s clothes one piece at a time, when he was done he prodded the other man up higher on the bed; having retrieved the lube earlier he slid down Tony’s body as he continued to pepper kisses over it. Smiling when he reached his destination, he slid his finger near to his lover’s entrance, but did not breach it, yet. He swallowed Tony, startling the other man enough that he was able to push the tip of one finger into his entrance. He slowly worked one finger in all the way before he attempted to add a second one. Hoping to distract Tony, Jethro continued to suck on Tony’s dick; he enjoyed hearing Tony’s muttered curses and demands. This was the first time in their relationship that Tony had allowed Jethro to go this far; Jethro just hoped that it wouldn’t be too much for his lover.

Tony was lost in pleasure and desire. Jethro taking his dick into his mouth had startled him, but he was completely distracted by it to notice the finger that had entered him. Now all he wanted was to feel Jethro inside of him. He didn’t remember it feeling this nice or good before, even when he had tried with Neal. Thoughts came to his mind and he wasn’t sure if he was saying them out loud or not, but he really didn’t care. “Yes… I… it feels so good, Jethro,” Tony said, as Jethro brushed against his prostate and he came in Jethro’s mouth. He hadn’t realized he was that close.

Jethro removed his fingers from Tony carefully, sliding up the bed he placed his head on Tony’s chest and cuddled up next to him. He was hard, but really didn’t care. Tony slowly wrapped his arms around him and kissed the top of his head.

“Why didn’t you finish?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re hard.”

“So.”

“So, I told you I wanted to try, baby.”

Jethro sighed, “I know, but this is the first time that you have even let me get near you like that… let’s see how things go, before we jump to making love.”

“I want to forget.”

“I know you do, but I want to keep you safe, too.”

“Even from myself?” Tony asked.

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a while as they both digested what occurred. Tony did want to go further, but his lover was right, he needed more time to see how he felt about everything outside of the immediately emotional and physical response.

“We should get up,” Jethro said.

“Yeah, Josh is probably wondering what is going on with us,” Tony said, as he released Jethro and climbed out of bed.

Jethro followed him into the bathroom, he wasn’t feeling so sick to his stomach now. “How long does that last?” he asked Tony.

“What last?”

“Morning sickness.”

“Oh… um… if I remember correctly it usually stops by the end of the first trimester. Let’s take a quick shower.”

Jethro just grunted as he stepped into the shower.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Josh entered the kitchen to hear his mom talking on the phone.

“Moz, I can’t come next week.”

His mom was silent while Uncle Mozzie must have been talking. Josh wondered why Uncle Mozzie wanted his mom to go to New York next week; that was the week of the big camping trip that Peter and Jethro had promised to take him on, without his mom and dad. He loved his parents, but they were not the most outdoors type of people. His mom was supposed to have an art show in three weeks, something must have changed.

“Moz, Peter and Jethro are taking Josh camping next week. I won’t have anyone to watch Zoey.”

Josh grabbed a glass and poured himself some juice; well there went the camping trip. He headed out of the kitchen and up to his room. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he called his friend Matt; he had hoped to talk Peter and Jethro into letting Matt come with them. Matt was the first real friend he had since he was little. He hadn’t been freaked out by Josh having two men for parents and he like a lot of the same things as Josh. They had bonded over school and music, but found other things in common like video games. He smiled when Matt answered his phone, “hey, babe,” Matt said.

Josh rolled his eyes even if his friend couldn’t see it, “I told you not to call me that.”

“I know; I’m still going to call you babe. So what’s up?”

“Looks like the camping trip might be off for next week. I’m not sure yet.”

“That sucks. I was looking forward to meeting you step-dad and step-mom.”

Josh’s eyes widened, “don’t ever call Jethro my step-mom. If anything he is another step-dad.”

Matt laughed, “yeah, okay. Maybe the trip can be postponed.”

“Not likely, both Peter and Jethro took time off for the trip. Maybe you could come spend the night with me… we could hang-out with Peter and my sister.”

“Josh… probably not a good idea… I can come hang-out for the day, but I would need to go home at night.”

“Why would… oh,” Josh said.

“Yeah, I like you… a lot and neither one of us is old enough or ready for anything like that.”

Josh could feel the blush creep up on him, “yeah, not ready for that. Not sure if I’ll ever be ready for that, Matt.”

“Are you blushing?” Matt teased.

“Um… no.”

“You are… I bet you are cute when you blush.”

“Matt…” Josh began, but was interrupted by a knock on his door, “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later, bye.”

“Bye, babe.”

Josh opened his door, trying to compose himself the best he could, “hey, mom.”

“Josh, what’s wrong?”

His mother was way too perceptive, “I heard you taking to Uncle Moz about going to New York. I figured that the camping trip was off, so I called Matt to tell him.”

“All right, but you look flushed.”

“Um… Matt likes me, a lot.”

“Oh… you’re only fifteen, Josh.”

“I know that; I don’t even know what I feel for him, other than friendship.”

“Is he pressuring you?”

“What? No, he actually said we could hang-out during the day, but staying all night probably wasn’t a good idea.”

“Smart boy; however, the trip might not be off, yet.”

“Oh….”

“I have to talk to Peter, but I’m going to try and work something out; I don’t want you to miss this trip, buddy.”

“Okay, mom.”

“Want something to eat?” Josh just shook his head, Neal sighed, “all right, I’ll leave you alone for now.”

“Thanks,” Josh mumbled, already distracted by his thoughts.

******

Tony and Jethro stood at Peter and Neal’s front door waiting to be let inside; his ex-husband had contacted him about dinner earlier in the day. Tony smiled when Josh opened the door to let them in the house.

“Hey, dad.”

“Hey, buddy,” Tony said, as he hugged his son.

“Mom is just putting dinner on the table.”

“Following you,” Tony said; he noticed his son was distracted, but decided to ask what was wrong later. As they sat down for dinner, Tony became suspicious because Neal looked nervous and was fidgeting.

“So, what’s up Neal?” Peter asked, as they began to eat.

“Can we eat first, please?”

Peter sighed, “fine.”

Tony glanced at Jethro, but he was quietly eating his food. It had been a week since they found out they would be parents and Jethro was still looking tired, he was also trying to work on all his emotions about it. They had talked about the pregnancy and the future, but had not yet decided on what they wanted to do. Once dinner was finished, Neal directed them into the living room; sitting next to his lover Tony waited for Neal to begin.

Neal smiled at them, “I got a call from Moz today, he said that my show was moved up to next week. Some type of scheduling glitch.”

“Next week is our camping trip, Neal,” Peter said.

“I know. I can’t take Zoey with me; she is too little.”

“I’ll just have to stay home with her and Jethro and Josh can go camping without me,” said Peter.

“No, I’ll watch her. That way Neal can go to his show and you can go camping with them Peter,” Tony suggested.

“Tony….”

“Neal, it isn’t like I don’t know how to take care of a kid and she is my god-daughter.”

“What about work?” Peter asked.

“I’ll just ask for the time off. I have it available.”

“I don’t know,” Neal said.

“Look,” Tony said, swooping up Zoey from Neal’s lap, “I get to spend time with this beautiful lady, you get to do your show and they get to go on a camping trip; all of us win.”

“Peter?” Neal asked, as he looked toward his husband.

“Fine with me.”

“Good,” Tony said as he made funny faces at Zoey.

Jethro watched Tony play with Zoey, he had seen it before, but now it felt different to him.

“So, Josh,” Tony said, still making funny faces at Zoey, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Try again, buddy.”

“Do we need to talk about it right now?”

“If it’s about Jethro and me, or Peter and your mom, yes we do.”

“It’s not dad, just trying to figure some stuff out about a friend.”

“A boy or a girl friend?” Tony asked.

“Dad,” Josh whined, “I don’t have a girlfriend or a boyfriend.”

“I didn’t say you had either. I asked if it was a girl or a boy.”

“It’s a boy. Um… I had wanted him to come camping with us, but when I thought the trip was off I called him. I figured if we couldn’t go camping he could spend the night and we could hang-out, but um… he said he thought it best if we just hang-out and he goes home at night, since he likes me.”

“I might just like this kid,” Tony said.

Neal snickered, “I said he was a smart boy.”

Tony smiled at him, but sobered when Josh glared at his parents, “Josh… you’re fifteen and getting towards that age when dating is going to become common and hormones are going to run rampant. You might get asked out or you might want to ask someone else out, that’s okay, but just don’t… jump into something you aren’t ready for, buddy.”

“Yeah… I like him, but not sure if it’s more than a friend. I’m just… I don’t know… confused.”

“Why don’t you invite him on the trip?” Jethro said.

Tony narrowed his eyes at his lover, “Jethro….”

“Tony, what better way for them to spend time together and still have two adult chaperones watching them?”

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but closed it quickly, “that actually might be a good idea.”

“I do have them on occasion,” Jethro said dryly.

“Never said you didn’t, baby.”

“Kiss-ass.”

“Only yours, baby,” whispered Tony as he kissed his lover’s cheek.”

“Yuck,” Josh said, covering his face.

Tony just smirked at his son, he enjoyed embarrassing him.

“Leave him alone and give me back my baby,” said Neal.

“All right, we should get going anyway,” he said, just as Jethro yawned.

“Bye, guys,” Peter said as he escorted them to the door.

“Bye,” Tony and Jethro said together.

Jethro drove them home in silence; he was silent on his way up the stairs to their bedroom. He was silent as he prepared for bed and crawled in between the sheets. It wasn’t until Tony crawled in beside him that he finally spoke, “you really want this baby, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” he said, as he rolled onto his side and scooted closer to Jethro.

“You’re also holding yourself back, aren’t you?”

Tony sighed, “some.”

“How?”

“It’s not important, baby.”

“It is to me, Tony.”

Tony left the bed, he went to one of the drawers that he used in Jethro’s dresser; opening it he pulled out a small box and returned to the bed. Crawling back in, he held his hand out with the box in it to Jethro. He took the box and opened it to find two wedding bands in it; one had four sapphires running horizontal on it and the other one had four emeralds running horizontal, both were matte finished.

“Platinum, that one,” Tony said pointing to the sapphire ring, “is mine. The other one is yours— if you say yes.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then we continue on as we have been.”

“You really want to marry me?”

“Of course, Jethro. I’ve wanted to marry you since I figured out I was in love with you, but if you aren’t ready for that or don’t want it, I’ll understand.”

“Didn’t buy me an engagement ring?”

“Didn’t think you would want one. Are you saying yes?”

“I’m not taking your last name,” Jethro said glaring at Tony.

“I don’t care. Is that a yes?”

“Yes.”

Tony surged forward and kissed his new fiancé, making the other man moan. “Love you,” Tony said.

“Love you, too,” Jethro said as Tony slipped his hand down towards Jethro’s boxers, but was stopped when his lover yawned.

“Let’s get some sleep.”

“I thought…,” Jethro began.

“Tomorrow morning, sleep now,” Tony said as he curled around the front of Jethro, so his head was on his lover’s chest as Jethro rolled onto his back.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

“Sweetheart, I’m home,” Peter shouted as he shut his front door.

“Hey, Peter,” Neal smiled at him as he walked in with Zoey in his arms. He gave his husband a kiss as he handed him Zoey.

“Hey, pretty girl.”

Zoey made babbling noises at Peter making him smile at her.

“We’re having Matt’s parents over for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Okay… um… sure… that’s my girl… whatever you think is best, sweetheart.”

“Well, before they let their son go with you and Jethro they wanted to meet the two of you. So I invited them to dinner and asked Tony and Jethro to come as well.”

“Neal, whatever you think is best.”

“Sorry,” Neal said sheepishly.

“Come here, sweetheart,” Peter said, extending one arm to Neal.   He wrapped it around Neal and kissed his forehead.

“I’m just nervous.”

“I know sweetheart. It’ll be fine.”

******

The next night, Neal was fixing the dining room table for the third time when Tony and Jethro arrived.

“Hey, Peter.”

“Jethro, Tony— could you hold Zoey for me, I need to—Neal is nervous.”

“Sure, what’s he doing?”

“He’s re-set the table three times since he set it originally. Was he always like this?”

Tony smiled at Peter, “we never really had dinner guests.”

“Oh….”

“Yeah, that’s probably why he’s so nervous and he’ll be meeting a potential boyfriend for Josh.”

“Matt is not my boyfriend, dad,” Josh said.

“I said potential, son. Come here young lady,” Tony smiled at Zoey.

Peter headed to drag his husband off to try and calm him down before their guests arrived. “Sweetheart, it’s perfect.”

“It could be better, Peter.”

Grabbing Neal’s hand, he pulled him out of the room and into the downstairs bathroom; locking the door he backed Neal against it kissing him until Neal moan into his mouth. They continued to kiss until they had to breathe.

“Better?” Peter asked.

“No, now I want you to fuck me,” Neal pouted.

“Not enough time, but if you want I can…,” he said as he unzipped Neal’s pants and pushed them down just enough to get his hand into his underwear, “give you a hand.”

Neal’s groan turned into a moan, as Peter wrapped his warm hand around the other man’s dick. “That was horrible, Peter… oh, yeah… please.”

“Please what?”

“Make me… um….”

Peter had found a small tube of lube hidden in a drawer and had slicked up one finger carefully slipping it into Neal. He continued to push his finger in at the same time he was stroking his husband’s dick and running his thumb over the head on occasion. He needed to get Neal off soon, so he added a second finger and tried to find his prostate to push him over the edge. Neal began to whimper as Peter found his prostate.

“Peter… I’m so close… please… please…,” Neal begged.

“Sweetheart,” Peter said, right before he kissed his husband and pushed him over the edge.

“Peter,” Neal shouted, but the sound was absorbed by Peter as he continued to kiss him.

“Ssh, sweetheart. Wouldn’t want our guests to hear us.”

“Um… Tony… probably figured… out what… um… we were doing… anyway,” Neal panted out.

“How do you figure that?”

“Um… oh… you are so fucking me later tonight… he did the same thing when I would get really nervous.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we… thank you, Peter… we should get cleaned up.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Tony smirked at the other two men as they re-entered the living room, he felt a jab in his ribs from Jethro. He glared at his fiancé and was about to say something about it when Jethro whispered, “be nice, Tony.”

Tony pouted, “fine, I’ll behave.”

“Good-boy,” Jethro smirked.

Before Tony could respond the doorbell rang; Josh shot to the door to open it before any of the adults could make it causing Tony and Neal to look at each other in surprise. Tony followed Neal over to the door, but Josh was already escorting a teenaged boy and two adults into the room. The woman gave them a reserved smile, sticking her hand out, “Marsha Peterson.”

“Neal Burke,” he said shaking her hand.

She turned to Tony and said, “you must be Peter Burke.”

“Um… no, I’m Tony DiNozzo, Josh’s father,” Tony said as he handed Zoey off to Peter who had come up behind Neal.

“I’m Peter Burke.”

“Ah… um… yes, of course.”

“This,” Tony said indicating Jethro, “is my fiancé, Jethro Gibbs.” To Peter and Neal’s credit neither man seemed surprised by the news.

“James Peterson, Matthew’s father,” the man said and gave them a genuine smile.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Neal, Peter, and Tony all said; Gibbs just grunted.

Tony turned to find his son staring at the interaction with a slightly frightened look, “Josh, going to introduce your friend?”

“Oh… yeah, this is Matt… um, Matt this is my dad Tony and my mom Neal.”

“Nice to meet you, sirs,” Matt said shaking both Neal and Tony’s hands and repeating the process with Peter and Jethro.

“Let’s eat,” Neal said leading everyone into the dining room. As dinner progressed, Neal found he liked Matt a great deal and his father was nice, but Marsha was a bit much to handle.

“Which one of you adopted Josh?” she asked.

“No one has adopted him,” Neal said calmly.

“Oh… I’m confused,” she said.

“Mother, I already told you that Josh’s mother is Neal and his father is Tony. Please don’t do this, not now,” Matt said.

Marsha turned toward her son, “I thought you meant he was adopted by one of them— you mean that Neal is a carrier?”

“Marsha— that is none of your business, drop it,” James told her.

“I just want to know who our son is spending time with, James.”

Tony plastered on his most charming smile, “well, he is spending time with the son of an artist and a Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent. He is also spending time with the step-son of an FBI Agent and the soon to be step-son of another NCIS Agent.”

“Oh… of course… forgive me,” Marsha said, but it wasn’t very apologetic. Tony let it drop for Josh’s sake; Josh might not be ready to date anyone, but Tony didn’t want to push someone that his son obviously really like as a friend away, just because of an annoying mother. Dinner ended quickly after that, with Marsha and her husband deciding to leave. Matt would spend the night with Peter and Neal since the group would be leaving early for their camping trip.

Once the door closed on his parents, Matt turned to the remaining adults, “I’m so sorry for my mother, she has never dealt well with um… same-sex partners. The only reason she is even letting me go is because my father threatened to take me and leave if she didn’t behave. She… she chased my older brother away from home and dad still hasn’t forgiven her for that.”

“It’s not your fault and you have nothing to apologize for Matt,” Neal said.

“I know, but I still feel I should say sorry.”

“Josh, why don’t you show Matt to the guest room? You have an early start tomorrow,” Neal said.

“All right, night.”

The two boys left the room, leaving the adults to stare at each other. Neal was curious as to who would break first, “are you sure that letting that kid go with you is such a good idea?” Tony asked.

“Tony, nothing is going to happen between them. The four of us will be sharing a tent, it’s not likely that they will be having sex without us knowing,” Jethro said.

“Jethro’s right, Tony. I know you want to protect him, so do I, but he is growing up and we have to let him have some independence.”

“I know, Neal. I just— I just see that little boy who would crash into my legs and scream daddy at me whenever I came home. It’s hard to let him go.”

“I agree,” Neal said.

“We should get going. Neal are you staying at Jethro’s Monday night or am I picking you up really early Tuesday to take you to the train station?” Tony asked.

Neal groaned, “Can you stay here?”

“Sure,” Tony said, shrugging.

“Thanks… um see you guys,” Neal said as he showed the other two men to the door. He closed the door and felt Peter wrap and arm around his waist.

“Not sure I like the idea of Tony spending the night here, but it’s better than you staying at his place.”

“You’re weird Peter. Nothing will happen between us; I saw how he was looking at Jethro all night, he is so besotted with him that I don’t even blip on his radar anymore.”

“Good. Bed.”

“Yeah.”

******

Josh opened the guest bedroom and let Matt enter in front of him. Matt turned and pulled Josh into the room and closed the door. Josh blushed and ducked his head when Matt smiled at him. Matt ran his finger under Josh’s chin, lifting his head up so they were gazing into each other’s eyes. Josh, surprised by the intensity he saw in the other boy’s eyes, shivered and licked his lips; Matt quickly moved in and kissed him gently. It was such a soft kiss and so tender that Josh was unaware he had closed his eyes, until Matt pulled away and rested their foreheads together.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that; you should go, babe,” Matt said.

Josh blinked his eyes open and stared at his friend, “I don’t mind if you do that again, Matt.”

“I know you don’t Josh, but… we have time, okay,” he smiled at him.

“All right. Um… are we dating?”

“Oh, yeah,” Matt said, “go on, before your mom and step-dad find us.”

Josh pulled away from his new boyfriend and quickly left the room to find his own bed; as he slid in between the sheets he touched his lips where Matt had kissed him, his first kiss, but Matt was right they had time, plenty of time.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Tony was playing with Zoey on the living room floor when his cell rang.

“DiNozzo.”

“Tony, sorry to bother you, but the director is insisting you come in, now.”

“Kate, I’m off until next week.”

“I know, I thought I better warn you, she is on the warpath. She claims that she would not have approved time off for both you and Gibbs at the same time.”

“I’ll come in, but I’m not happy about this.”

“Sorry,” Kate said, before hanging up on him.

Tony smiled at his god-daughter, “sorry, baby girl, but it looks like you get to come with me until I can find someone to watch you. Come on let’s get ready.”

******

Neal stepped off the train, he had his bag all ready with him and he just needed to find Moz and Elizabeth. He decided to send a text to Tony and let him know he arrived on time and safely. He looked at his phone, he didn’t have a signal so he continued walking; just as he was approaching an open area of the station he felt someone grab his arm and push what felt like a gun into his side. He swallowed, “you can have my wallet and my phone, just please let me go.”

“Shut-up Neal. I don’t want that crap, in fact, we are going to drop your cell into that trash can over there,” the man with the gun said.

Neal tried not to shake, but he hadn’t heard that voice in years. “Mitch, what do you want,” Neal said, trying to buy himself time, hopeful that Moz or Elizabeth would see him.

“Oh, I don’t want anything, Neal, but Adler would love to have another go at that ass of yours. And I told you to shut-up. Keep walking, I know you have people here to pick you up.”

Neal continued to walk slowly until Mitch pushed the gun in deeper; they approached the trash can that Mitch had pointed out and he dropped his phone into it. He was glad that Mitch hadn’t paid too much attention to him and his phone, because he had activated the audio recording and the tracking app that he hoped would work like advertised. Before Neal realized it, he and Mitch were outside the station and headed towards a car. The back door of the car opened and Mitch pushed Neal into it, slamming it shut as soon as Neal was inside fully. Mitch climbed into the front of the car as Neal tried to open the back door, but found that he couldn’t.

“Oh, don’t bother, I made certain that the doors could only open from the outside and since,” Mitch tapped the bars between the front and back of the car,” you can’t get through this, you will be sitting back there until we get to our destination.”

“Fuck,” Neal swore.

“I doubt you will be fucking anything, Neal, that is Adler’s job. Now sit back and enjoy the ride, it’s a bit of a drive,” Mitch said, with a nasty laugh.

Neal sat back as he tried not to shake, but he wasn’t succeeding. He was grateful that Zoey and Josh were not with him, though. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and opened them to watch where they were headed. He didn’t know if he would be able to find access to a phone, but if he did he would be able to give as much information as he could to Tony or Peter.

******

Josh was having a great time camping; they had been there since Sunday and he had learned how to fish and set-up camp. He and Matt had talked some about dating, but mostly they had stayed to safe topics like who caught the biggest fish or about the latest video game. Jethro and Peter were giving the boys some space to spend time together, but not so much that they could get into trouble.

It was Tuesday afternoon and the four were sitting around the camp relaxing after an early morning hike. Jethro promised Tony to take it easy, so they had kept the hike so there was little strain on them. Jethro watched Josh and Matt closely; Matt had Josh’s hand in his and they were sitting close to each other. Jethro noticed that Matt took the lead with Josh; he was going to pull the kid aside and explain the need for restraint when came to Josh.

“Anyone want lunch?” Peter asked.

“I can make sandwiches, if you want,” Josh offered.

“Sure, I’ll help,” Peter said.

Josh and Peter went to start making the sandwiches, leaving Jethro and Matt alone. Jethro glared at the kid, surprised when he didn’t flinch.

“I’m guessing you wanted to talk to me alone.”

Gibbs grunted.

“Going to tell me not to pressure Josh for anything he isn’t ready to give.”

Gibbs grunted again.

“I wouldn’t do that, sir. I like Josh, a lot. Honestly, I’m not ready for anything more than hand holding.”

Gibbs raised his eyebrows at the kid. The kid blushed and looked away for a moment.

“I… I did kiss him, but I stopped when I realized it was probably too soon.”

Gibbs glared at him.

“I… it won’t happen again, sir,” Matt said, in a rush.

Gibbs shook his head, “look, kid, I understand hormones at your age are going to run a bit wild. I figure you two will probably do more than kiss at some point, but I’m asking you to use restraint. Don’t push him; he’s smart, but naïve.”

“I know, sir. I don’t want to hurt him. I won’t push him and I’ll try to make sure he doesn’t go too far too soon.”

Gibbs looked at the kid, seeing the honesty in his eyes he grunted again and nodded.

“Is that… all, sir?”

“Do I need to talk to you about safe sex?” Jethro said.

Behind him Josh groaned, “Jethro.” Josh walked over to Matt and handed him his sandwich and drink, sitting down next to his boyfriend with his own plate he glared at his dad’s fiancé.

Gibbs glared back as he took the offered plate of food from Peter, “It’s either us or your dad. Which would you prefer?”

“Um… you two. You’re less scary,” Josh said.

Matt looked between Peter and Jethro, “they are less scary than your dad? I met your dad, babe, he’s nice. Seems like a big puppy dog.”

Josh turned wide eyes to his boyfriend, “that was my dad being nice, because he didn’t want to scare you off, for my sake. I so don’t want to have this conversation with him.”

Matt looked at Peter and Jethro and saw them smirking at them. He swallowed, trying to hide his discomfort with the conversation. “I promise we won’t be having sex until we are both adults.”

Josh nodded his head in agreement.

“Good,” the two older men said in unison.

******

Tony arrived at work with Zoey in her stroller; he had contacted Jackson to come and take care of her, but it would be hours before he could arrive. He pushed the stroller next to his desk and smiled at his co-workers as he sat down. Kate, McGee, and Ziva all raised an eyebrow at him; he shrugged, “my Goddaughter, Zoey Burke. I was watching her while her parents are out of town. Now what was so important that I had to come to work?”

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Kate said.

“You said the Director wanted me down here.”

“She does, something about a case that needs to be dealt with, but I can’t find anything on any cases that came in recently,” McGee said.

“If this is a waste of my time, I’m going to be pi… upset,” Tony said, trying not to curse around Zoey. The little girl began to fuss at that moment, so Tony removed her from the stroller and bounced her on his knee. He smiled at her and kissed her cheeks.

Kate walked over to Tony’s desk, “may I hold her?”

Tony scrutinized Kate, deciding that she wouldn’t hurt Zoey he handed her to the woman. Kate took her and smiled at her. “She’s beautiful, Tony. Who are her parents?”

“My ex-husband, Neal and his new husband, Peter.”

Kate blinked at that, “um….”

“Yeah, I know, weird. I told you, I’m still friends with Neal.”

Just ask Kate was about to say something, Tony’s cell rang.

“DiNozzo.”

“Tony, have you heard from Neal?”

“No. Moz what’s going on?”

“I don’t know. El is trying to contact Peter, but he isn’t answering his phone.”

“It won’t work; he is out of range. Moz did Neal’s train arrive on time?”

“Yeah, but he never made it for us to pick him up, Tony.”

“Shit— give me… stay on the phone Moz. McGee, I need you to track a cell phone number for me.”

“Okay, Tony, but you know….”

“Don’t worry about it, McGee, he’s a spouse of an FBI agent,” Tony said, as he picked up his desk phone. He waited for the other end to pick up, as soon as it did, he began to talk, “Fornell, I need you at NCIS, ASAP; Neal’s missing,” he didn’t say anything else as he hung up the phone.

“Tony what’s going on?” Kate asked.

Tony held his hand up and returned to his cell phone, “Moz, I need you to contact Peter’s old division at the FBI.”

“The Suits… I don’t think so.”

“Mozzie, I don’t give a fuck about your fear of the feds; Neal is missing, that trumps your fear,” he snapped.

“Fine, I’ll have El do it.”

“Good, when she…”

“I found the phone, Tony,” McGee said.

“Email me the info. Mozzie, I’m emailing you the information that you need to give to the FBI; call me back when you have something.”

“All right, Tony. I got it.”

******

Josh and Matt were helping clean-up after lunch when the crack of a gunshot came from the trees nearby. Matt pulled Josh down to the ground and they started to crawl away from the sound. The boys found a fallen tree on the ground and huddled up against it. Matt looked at his boyfriend and saw wide eyes trying to focus. Deciding that they needed something to protect themselves with, Matt looked around the area and found two decent branches; he crawled towards them and grabbing them he quickly handed one to Josh. Once armed, Josh scooted closer to Matt and what felt like security to him.

Matt kissed the top of Josh’s head, “it’ll be fine babe.”

Josh just nodded his head and cuddled closer to Matt; both startled when they heard a snap of a stick behind them.

******

Jethro grabbed his gun and ducked when he heard the shot. He listened carefully for the direction of the attackers, but couldn’t hear anything. He looked around and didn’t find Josh or Matt, but he did see Peter. The other man had ducked down as well and had his gun drawn, scanning the area. Jethro heard footsteps approaching and trained his gun towards them, just as he heard another shot fired.

******

Tony tried again to contact Peter and Jethro on the satellite phone they had taken with them. He paced the bullpen clutching Zoey in his arms. Fornell had called to tell him that they were opening an investigation into the disappearance of Neal, but he didn’t have any hard evidence of abduction.

“Come on… come on… answer.”

“Who does this child belong to, Agent DiNozzo?” Director Shepard asked behind him.

“She’s my goddaughter, ma’am.”

“And why is she here?”

“Because I was watching her when you insisted I come to work, even after I had taken time off, ma’am.”

“Well, she can’t be here. Call her parents to come get her,” the director snapped at him.

“That is what I’m trying to do, ma’am, but they are both unreachable.”

The director opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by Tony’s cell phone ringing, “DiNozzo,” he snapped into his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, I left all of you hanging. I promise to get the next chapter up soon.


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

“DiNozzo,” Tony snapped into his phone.

“Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo?” the man on the other end questioned.

“Yes.”

“This is Agent Clinton Jones of the FBI.”

“Did you find Neal?”

“No, but we did find his phone. He started to record a conversation on it, but neither of his friends are sure of what he is talking about. I’m hoping you can help.”

“I’ll try, go ahead and play it for me,” Tony said. He heard what sounded like the typical noises found in a train station, but then heard Neal speak.

“Mitch, what do you want,” he heard Neal say, and his blood went cold. The next words made him sit down hard in his desk chair and shiver in fear, “Oh, I don’t want anything, Neal, but Adler would love to have another go at that ass of yours. And I told you to shut-up. Keep walking, I know you have people here to pick you up,” Mitch’s voice came through clearly.

Tony wanted to whimper at the sound of Mitch’s voice, but he couldn’t. He didn’t have time to fall apart; he had to stay strong for the little girl in his arms and for Neal. He didn’t know where Jethro and Josh were… he… “fuck. I don’t know Mitch’s last name, but I do know the name of the man who paid him to kidnap Neal, it’s Vincent Adler and he was on a watch list for entry into the U.S. He’s wanted for human trafficking.”

“How do you and Mr. Burke know this man?” Jones asked.

Tony closed his eyes, “I can’t tell you, but I know that if Adler has Neal— we have to find him, soon.”

“Agent DiNozzo….”

“Look, contact Agent Tobias Fornell with the FBI here in D.C., he can give you more information on Adler.”

“All right,” Jones said, right before he hung up on Tony.

While Tony was caught up with Jones on the phone, he hadn’t noticed the Director slinking off to her office. He looked at the little girl in his arms, kissing the top of her head, “I promise you, I will do everything in my power to bring your mom back to you, sweetheart.”

“Tony, what’s going on?” Kate asked.

“Neal… was kidnapped. McGee, I need you to find out all you can on a man named Vincent Adler. He should have been on a watch list for entry into the U.S., I don’t know how the hell he made it back here.”

“I will contact my sources to see if they know anything,” Ziva offered.

“Thanks, Ziva,” Tony said.

She smiled at him, “I do not like human traffickers. They are scam.”

“Scum, but I think we all knew what you meant,” Tony said, smiling at her.

“I’ll see what I can fine, too,” Kate offered.

“Thanks guys,” Tony said.

******

Neal tried not to shake too much when Mitch pulled him from the car. He would have fought him, but they were in middle of nowhere and he didn’t think he had a chance if he tried to run. Mitch gripped his arm tightly as he pulled him towards the large house on the secluded property they had driven to. He was brought into the house and into the study where Adler was sitting behind an elaborate cherry desk.

The smile that spread across his face made Neal’s blood turn to ice, “hello, Neal.”

Neal didn’t say anything.

“What, nothing to say to me?”

“Let me go,” Neal finally whispered.

“Let me think about that— no. You ran away from me, Neal. You know what that means, right?”

Neal’s eyes widened and he began to shake his head, “no please. I’m pregnant, if you do that you could hurt my baby— please don’t,” Neal begged.

“Well,” Adler said, as he moved from behind his desk, “this will work out quite nice. Do you know what you are having, yet?” he asked, as he stepped behind Neal and wrapped his arm around his waist placing his hand on Neal’s slightly distended belly.

“N... not yet,” he said, trying to hold his voice steady.

“Well, either way, the baby will fetch a nice sum, for me. Take him to his cell and take his clothes as well. The blankets in there should be enough to keep him warm, for now,” Adler said.

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and Mitch— “

“Yes, sir?”

“Use the cuffs and chain him to the bed, we wouldn’t want him getting any ideas about escape.”

“No, sir.”

Neal was led out of the study and down a hallway into what must have been the rooms used by the servants at one time. Mitch pulled him to a door with a deadbolt lock on it and dragged him into the room. Neal made a quick assessment of the room, there was a bed and another door, that was it. He was pushed towards the bed and he stumbled as Mitch tried to hurry him along.

“Strip. Now,” Mitch ordered.

Neal didn’t want to, but he was afraid that Mitch might hit him and hurt the baby. Once he was naked, Mitch attached his wrists into heavy metal cuffs and clipped them together with a pad lock. He then used two more cuffs on his ankles, one was attached to a heavy chain that was attached to the bed. Once he was done, Mitch un-locked his wrist cuffs and stepped back.

“That chain in long enough for you to make it to the bathroom. Food will be brought to you, soon. Don’t get any ideas about escaping, bitch,” he said, as he slapped Neal hard on the face making his head snap back.

Neal curled up on the bed underneath the covers, once Mitch left him alone. He wanted Peter; he closed his eyes and slowly allowed sleep to pull him under as he dreamt of his husband’s loving arms wrapped around him.

******

Jethro heard footsteps approaching and trained his gun towards them just as he heard another shot fired, he rolled to the side and felt his arm grazed by a bullet. Quickly regaining his position, he took aim and fired at his assailant’s knee. He wanted to know who and what these men wanted; he wanted one alive.

He heard several other shots fired and several thumps, quickly turning he saw Peter had taken out two of his assailants, but his were dead. He nodded to Peter and saw the other man was headed to secure the man that Jethro had shot in the knee. Gibbs approached the man on the ground and training his gun on him said, “who are you and what do you want?”

The guy gave a harsh laugh, “we were paid to collect you and one kid and kill the other two.”

“That was too easy,” Peter said.

“Yeah, it was. Where’s Josh?”

“He ran with Matt towards the trees,” Peter nodded in the direction.

“You got him?” Gibbs asked.

“Yeah, go get the boys.”

******

Josh cuddled closer to Matt; both startled when they heard a snap of a stick behind them and a voice call out, “come on out, boys. I know you are there. I promise I won’t hurt you Matt, if you hand over the bitch.”

Matt looked at his boyfriend and whispered, “how does he know my name? Why did he call you a bitch?”

“I don’t know about your name, but I’m a carrier, Matt. I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid.”

Matt smiled at him, “you mean that someday we could have kids together?”

Josh looked at him confused, “um… yeah.”

“Good,” Matt said, giving him a kiss before shouting back at the guy, “I don’t think so, buddy.”

“She said you would be stubborn about this, boy. I really don’t want to hurt you, but I will. I need the bitch; he already has a buyer lined out for him.”

“Who is she and no I’m not handing him over. He isn’t anyone’s property.”

The boy’s both startled when a shot rang out, Matt pushed Josh to the ground and covered him with his body.

They heard footsteps and Matt whispered in Josh’s ear, “I’m going to move off of you and you are going to run, fast. Understand me, babe?”

“Matt, I’m not going to leave you— they’ll kill you.”

“They want to sell you, babe. I’m not going to let them do that to you; now, go,” Matt said, as he moved quickly off Josh and turned to find Jethro looking at him with pride in his eyes.

“Sir?” Matt questioned.

“Don’t call me sir, I work for a living, kid. You did good. Josh, you okay?”

“Jethro,” Josh said, as he got up and hugged his dad’s fiancé.

“Hey, hey… you didn’t answer my question, you okay?”

Josh just nodded his head against Jethro’s chest. Matt got to his feet and wrapped his arms around Josh, gently pulling him away from Jethro, “hey, babe, you need to let him go so we can get out of here, all right?”

Josh nodded again and clung to Matt as the three of them walked back towards camp. Matt was terrified, but needed to keep it together for his boyfriend, he could breakdown later. They approached the camp and found Peter with his gun still trained on the remaining living assailant.

“Josh, thank God,” Peter said.

“Peter,” Josh said as he ran to his step-father and hugged him.

“It’s all right, kiddo. Do we need to collect any of the other suspects?” Peter asked Jethro.

Gibbs just shook his head.

“All right, we need to get out of here and back to the car. Josh, I want you to stay close to Matt, okay?” Peter said. Josh just nodded to him and slipped back to Matt who wrapped his arm around him again.

Jethro grabbed the pack holding their emergency supplies and pulled out the satellite phone Tony had insisted they buy and take on the trip. He should have call Tony, but instead dialed Fornell. He hated satellite phones, because of the delay in response.

“Fornell,” his friend answered.

“Fornell, it’s Gibbs. I need a team up at our location ASAP. We were attacked.”

“Fuck. All right, is anyone hurt?”

“Scared. We have three dead suspects and one injured.”

“Okay, I got your location. I’ll have someone there as soon as I can.”

Gibbs grunted and ended the call. He turned to the others, “Fornell will have a team here soon.”

“Good, we need to treat your arm, Jethro,” Peter said.

Before Gibbs could say anything, Josh had grabbed the first aid kit from the emergency pack and was pushing him into a chair so he could work on his arm. Kneeling beside the chair, he cleaned the graze and put some antibiotic ointment on the wound and bandaged it up the best he could. Once he was done, he looked at Jethro, “is the baby all right?”

“Yeah. I was just hit in the arm and I didn’t take any hits or trauma to my abdomen. I’m sure the baby will be fine, Josh,” he said, ruffling the kid’s hair.

“Good,” he said; he rose from his place by Jethro and returned to Matt who pulled him into a hug and kissed the side of his head.

The four campers settled in to wait for the team to take charge of the situation, but Matt had questions, “how did that guy know my name?” he said to no one in particular.

“What?” Peter asked.

“The guy who wanted to take Josh from me, he said my name and claimed some woman said I would be stubborn.”

“What else did he say?” Peter asked.

“Um… that some man already had a buyer for Josh. They were going to sell him, who would do that to a kid?” Matt asked, as he held Josh closer to him.

“Bad people, kid,” Peter said. He shared a look with Jethro, wondering if the other man had the same bad feeling in his gut as Peter did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah another semi-cliffhanger.


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Neal awoke to arms wrapped around him and another body in bed with him. It wasn’t Peter, the aftershave was wrong and the arms weren’t as strong and comforting. He was kissed on the back of his neck, he whimpered and tried to pull away from the man behind him.

“Shush, Neal. You know how this works. I won’t hurt you, but if you fight me on this, I will,” Adler said.

“Please don’t. I’m married, now.”

“Yeah, I know. It should have been me, Neal. That son of Tony’s should have been mine. He stole you from me.”

“I’m not property, Vincent. I don’t belong to anyone.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Neal,” Adler said, as he slipped his hand down Neal’s stomach to his dick and began to stroke it.

“Please don’t. I don’t want this.”

“It sure feels like you want it, Neal.”

“I don’t. Please don’t do this, Vincent,” Neal begged.

“If you don’t let me do this, Neal, you know what I will do to you.”

Neal whimpered again as Vincent stroked him to full hardness and began to play with his nipples. Neal was more sensitive because of his pregnancy; he couldn’t hold back his orgasm as he came all over Adler’s hand.

Adler moved his hand and rolled Neal onto his back, he lowered himself down and forcefully kissed Neal thrusting his tongue into the other man’s unwilling mouth. When Adler pulled back, he hovered over him, “you’ll get used to it again, Neal. I plan on taking my time with you. I’ll have you begging me to fuck you and rolling over to do whatever I want. You can’t resist me forever, my love.”

“No, I won’t, Vincent. I love Peter.   I love my husband.”

“I know you do, but you will eventually love me and bear my children. We can be happy, my love,” Adler said, as he slipped out of the bed and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands. He returned to the bed again and kissed Neal, this time with less force, “see you later.”

Neal waited until Adler left the room to get out of bed and head into the bathroom. Mitch was right, his chain was long enough for him to use the bathroom. It was even long enough for him to take a shower; he started the water and climbed into the stall, pulling the curtain closed, he leaned against the shower wall and cried as he placed his hand over his belly, praying that Peter would find him soon.

******

Tony was pacing the bullpen, again. He was pissed. His fiancé had called him, but wouldn’t tell him what was wrong. Tony had explained the situation and Jethro said that the four of them were on their way to NCIS headquarters. He wanted his son and his lover in his arms. He wanted Neal back. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Neal. He had promised to protect him; it didn’t matter that they weren’t married any longer, all that mattered was his promise. He spun around when he heard the elevator ding, out walked Peter, Jethro, Matt, and Josh. Josh pulled away from Matt and ran to Tony.

“Daddy,” Josh said.

Tony wrapped his free arm around his son, he hadn’t called him daddy in years. Whatever happened had shaken his son, he felt someone try to take Zoey from him and he was about to stop them when he realized it was Peter. He let her go and put his other arm around his son, holding him tight and kissing the top of his head. He looked up to see Jethro watching him with worried eyes.

“What happened?” Tony asked.

“We were ambushed. Someone tried to kidnap Josh and me. They would have killed Peter and Matt,” Jethro said.

“Where’s Neal?” Peter asked.

Tony sighed, “Adler has him. The FBI is working on tracking them, but right now they don’t have much to go on, I’m sorry, Peter. I promise we will find him and bring him home.”

Peter held his daughter closer and held to the hope that Neal would be fine and returned to him soon.

******

Neal walked out of the bathroom to find Adler in the bed again, but this time he had food with him.

“Come here, Neal.”

Neal sighed and dropped the towel he had wrapped around him; as he approached the bed Adler pulled him onto it and flipped him so he was draped over Adler’s lap with his ass in the air. The sting of Adler’s hand connecting with his ass was a reminder not to cover himself up, again.

“You are never to cover yourself, unless I tell you to, understand.”

“Yes, sir,” Neal whimpered out.

Five more slaps to his ass and Neal was righted and straddling Adler’s lap being kissed by the other man.

“Good boy,” Adler said. “Now come, let me feed you, my love.”

Neal wanted to resist, but if he did it would only lead to more punishment and he had to think about his baby. Adler could be cruel and could easily go too far and cause Neal to lose the baby. He opened his mouth for the food Adler wanted to feed him. In between bites, Adler would kiss him trying to arouse him, but Neal didn’t want that.

“Up,” Adler said.

Neal stood and waited for directions.

“Climb on the bed and face the headboard. Put your hand on it and stay on our knees, boy.”

Neal did as he was told, afraid to make Adler mad. Once he was done, Adler was behind him attaching the wrist cuffs to chairs that were attached to the wall forcing his arms above his head and his back to Adler.

“Spread your legs more… better.”

Neal tried to stop the shivering as Adler placed one hand on his balls and the other on his dick. He began to stroke him and rolled his balls trying to arouse him, it worked. Neal didn’t want it, but his body was responding to the stimuli. Adler’s hand that was on his balls moved up his torso and found a nipple and gently rubbed it, bringing it to a point. Neal whimpered trying to stop the arousal, but he wasn’t successful.

“That’s it, Neal. You know you want this. Tony never did this for you, did he. He never took you to the heights I did. Peter couldn’t even attempt to bring you to this, could he?”

“I hate you,” Neal gritted out.

Adler chuckled at him, “of that I have no doubt, my love. That will change soon. I’ll take care of you and your son. I might even let him keep that little boyfriend of his; all you have to do is let me fuck you, Neal. Give in and let me have all of you.”

Neal shook his head as he spilled all over Adler’s hand, again. Adler chuckled behind him and moved from the bed, leaving Neal panting and still chained with his arms above his head. Adler returned to the bed and released Neal, but he connected his wrist cuffs together with the pad lock again.

Adler was hard and he wanted to fuck Neal, but the time wasn’t right. An idea came to mind, “on your knees on the floor, Neal.” Neal complied, reluctantly. Adler sat on the bed and spread his legs so Neal was between them, smiling down at the other man, “suck me,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Neal said, as he lowered his head to give the man he hated a blowjob.

******

Tony push his son to arm’s length to check him over for injuries. He did a quick scan, but didn’t find anything visible. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No, they didn’t get near me. Matt protected me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he pulled me towards some trees and we hid behind a fallen one. He armed us with some heavy branches. When the one guy tried to bargain with him he told him no and covered me when we heard a gunshot. He was going to make me leave him and run, but I didn’t want to, dad.”

Tony looked at Matt, “this true?” he asked the kid.

“Yes, sir.” Matt said.

Tony looked at the kid, “you can date my son, but you break his heart or hurt him in anyway, I will hurt you, understand.”

“Um… yes, sir.”

“Good,” Tony said, as he pulled his son back in for a hug. Tony finally took the time to look Jethro over; he narrowed his eyes when they landed on his lover’s bandaged arm. Taking Josh and pulling him to Matt he kissed his son’s head and stalked over to Jethro.  

Josh cuddled closer to Matt, but the other boy shifted away slightly. Josh rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, “don’t be stupid, Matt. He just gave you his blessing, he isn’t going to hurt you for putting your arm around me.”

“Um… not too sure about that.”

“Dad, can Matt put his arms around me,” Josh said.

Tony turned to look at the two boys, “arms— fully clothed.”

Josh blushed and whined at him, “dad.”

Tony just smirked and returned his attention to Jethro, “you’re hurt.”

“It’s just a graze, Tony. Josh bandaged it and put some ointment on it.”

“Kate, get Ducky up here, Gibbs was injured,” he ordered.

Tony maneuvered Jethro to his desk and sat the man down in his chair; he kissed the top of his lover’s head and heard gasps from the surrounding people occupying the bullpen. He didn’t care; his priority was to take care of his family and find Neal, that was all he cared about.

“Tony,” Jethro said, as he blushed and ducked his head.

“I don’t care, baby,” Tony said, as Jethro looked at him, “you— us, that’s all that matters to me.” He pulled away from his fiancé as Ducky arrived with Jimmy to attend to Jethro’s arm.

“Hey, Duck,” Jethro said.

“Jethro,” Ducky replied as he began to work on his arm.

Tony walked to his own desk and was just about to pick his phone up when Fornell and Sacks walked off the elevator. Tony waited until Fornell approached his desk, “Toby,” he said; he didn’t care who found out about his past now.

“Tone,” Fornell said, with a smile.

“Tell me you found him.”

Fornell shook his head, he opened his mouth to speak when the sound of crying started in the bullpen.

Tony instantly stopped, he remembered that sound, the sound of pain and despair. Of fear and hopelessness and then the voice he hated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, cliffhanger, again.


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> This is the second chapter for today.
> 
> I forgot to add that Gibbs is very OOC in this chapter and as ShadowWolfsDen pointed out he probably will be for a while because of the pregnancy.

Tony instantly stopped, he remembered that sound, the sound of pain and despair. Of fear and hopelessness and then the voice he hated.

“This is your punishment, Tony,” Adler said.

“It hurts,” Tony whimpered.

“Yes, it’s supposed to, boy. This is what happens when you try and run from me.”

“Please stop— take it out.”

“Let me think on that— no, the ginger stays.”

“How long?” Tony heard his younger self ask.

“You have three days with me, Tony,” Adler said, as Tony turned to look at the plasma screen. He saw the tear streaked face of his younger self, all of sixteen years old. He glanced and found his son had his face buried in his boyfriend’s chest and Matt had his hands covering Josh’s ears. He was grateful that Matt had closed his eyes to the horrors on the screen. Tony was numb to it; he had lived it and it could no longer hurt him or run his life. He was better than Adler, he had a son and a fiancé who loved him. He looked to his fiancé and found the man in question trying to hide the tears that slipped from his eyes. If Jethro wasn’t pregnant, Tony didn’t think he would be showing any emotions right now. Tony needed to focus on ending the situation and finding Neal.

“McGee, shut that down, now, and find out where it’s coming from,” he snapped as he walked towards Jethro. Kneeling down in front of his lover, he wiped the tears from his face.

“Tony… would he have….”

Tony gave he a sad smile, “it didn’t happen, baby. What happened to me was a long time ago and I’ve moved on, with your help.”

“Oh, God,” Jethro said, as he closed his eyes.

Tony hardened himself to the sounds coming from the plasma. The sound was familiar; he wasn’t surprised to see himself being hit with the strap Adler used to punish him with after the ginger was removed.

“Keep your eyes closed, baby. You don’t need to see this,” Tony said, as he kissed Jethro. He rose from where he was kneeling and turned to look at McGee, “I told you to shut that down.”

“I’m trying, Tony, but it seems to be on our server and it is being broadcast all over NCIS.”

“I don’t give a fuck, McGee, shut it down. Kate, take my son and his boyfriend somewhere without a monitor. Peter, let Kate take Zoey with them.” Peter shook his head not wanting to relinquish his daughter, “Peter, Kate will not hurt her. She doesn’t need to be here for this, Neal wouldn’t want that.” Peter finally relented and handed Zoey over to Kate as she escorted the kids to another room. Tony turned just as Ziva unplugged the plasma television from the outlet, Tony just smiled at her.

“Toby, how the hell did Adler get back into the country?”

“Someone lifted him from the watch list and he isn’t the only one, Tone.”

“My father.”

******

Neal shuffled into the bathroom to pee. Adler had left him about an hour ago, but he had kept his wrists cuffed together. After Neal finished in the bathroom, he returned to the bedroom to find a silver haired man sitting naked on the bed next to Adler.

“Ah, there you are, Neal. Didn’t I tell you he was beautiful.”

“Yes, he is, come here, boy.”

Neal approached the bed and tried not to show his fear.

“Kneel on the floor and suck me, bitch,” the silver haired man said.

“Please… don’t make me… please,” Neal begged as he backed away.

Adler was faster and had Neal on his knees and in between the other man’s spread legs before Neal realized it. His mouth was shoved onto the man’s dick and forced to keep his head still as the man fucked his mouth. With grunts and groans the man continued to fuck his mouth, just stopping short of cutting his air off.

“Fuck,” he shouted as he came down Neal’s throat. He pulled out of Neal’s mouth and Neal found himself tossed on the bed with his ass up and Adler attaching him to the bed so he couldn’t move. “I can see what my son was so enamored with. Are you going to fuck him now? I would love to watch.”

“Not yet, soon. If you want someone to fuck, ask Mitch to show you to Kate’s room. If you want her, you can have her. I don’t need her.”

“Have fun.”

“Oh, I plan on it,” Adler said as he hit Neal with the paddle, harder than he had with his hand.

******

“Yeah, your father,” Toby said.

“Fuck. I need answers.”

“Agent DiNozzo,” the Director snapped from the top of the stairs.

“Ma’am?”

“What is the meaning of that video? What about these photos I just received in the mail?” she asked, as she shoved a large stack of pictures into Tony’s chest.

He glanced at them, they were photos of him being fucked by different men. He cringed at them, seeing one of Toby the time Tony had given him a blow job. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, “when I was sixteen, I was sold to a man named Adler, by my father. Adler made me do these things.”

If he had hoped for sympathy from the Director, he didn’t get it, “you were a prostituted. That was never disclosed to NCIS.”

“I was never arrested, ma’am.”

“It is still a crime to solicit sex for money, Mister DiNozzo. I think that until an internal review is done I will relieve you of duty. Security will be here to escort you out of the building. Your badge and gun stay here.”

“You did this,” Tony heard Ziva say.

Before anyone could do anything, Tony had the director pinned against a wall with his hand around her throat. “Is what she said true?” he gritted out.

“Take your hands off me before I have you arrested for assault and threating the life of a federal official.”

“Is. What. She. Said. True.”

“Tony,” he felt Jethro’s hand on his shoulder, “let her go, please.”

“Answer the question.”

“Tony, please don’t do this. Josh needs you, Neal needs you, please Tony, stop,” Jethro begged.

“Answer the question.”

“Tony, please. I can’t do this without you. I need you. Our baby needs you, let her go. Please, Tony,” Jethro said, as he grabbed Tony’s arm.

Tony released the director and pushed her away from them, as he turned he grabbed Jethro and captured his mouth in a toe curling kiss that left his lover breathless. “I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have let me temper get the best of me. You’re right, I need to be here for you, our baby, and Josh. Forgive me?”

Jethro buried his face in Tony’s chest and nodded his head; he was trying not to blush, but he was embarrassed and his emotions were all over the place. Tony just held him closer, protecting him from prying eyes. Jethro wasn’t sure if he could continue to work at NCIS after everything was resolved. His brush with a bullet had left him questioning his decision to stay working through his pregnancy.

******

Neal whimpered when he heard the door open; Adler had left him blindfolded and chained to the bed. He tried not to flinch when a hand touched his belly. It caressed him; he hated the man who was touching him, Peter should be the only one to touch him like that.

“Hush, now. I don’t like hurting you, Neal. You need to learn; I can’t have you defying me. Open your mouth, I’m going to fuck your face. I want to fuck your ass, but I want you to beg me for that.” Neal didn’t open his mouth, “I said open your mouth, bitch,” Adler said, as he slapped Neal’s face. Neal still didn’t open his mouth. “Fine, I’ll just use the O-ring gag on you and when I’m done I’ll use the strap on your ass and legs.”

Neal relented and opened his mouth, he didn’t want to take the chance with his baby.

“That’s a good, bitch. Yes, your mouth is perfect. You’ll beg me soon for my dick in your ass. Suck me,” he said, as he thrust himself into the other man’s mouth.

******

“I killed the feed, Tony,” McGee said.

“Do you know where it came from?”

“I’m still looking, but— I, fuck, it was…” he trailed off.

“McGee?” Tony questioned.

“Working on it.”

“Tony,” Kate came running into the bullpen.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was talking to the boys and Matt thinks that his mother might have been involved with the kidnap attempt.”

“Where are they?”

“I left Abby with them. Look, Tony, I got all the information from him I could. Don’t be too hard on the kid.”

“I wasn’t planning on it. Why does he think his mother was involved?”

“The suspect that demanded he hand Josh over said that a woman told him Matt would be stubborn about giving Josh up. He doesn’t know for sure, but the only woman he could think of who would say that would be his mother.”

“Toby, find out all you can on a Marsha Peterson. If she’s involved….”

“Ziva was right,” McGee said.

“What?” Gibbs demanded as he finally broke away from Tony.

“Ziva said the director had something to do with this, she was right. I found traces of the video files and the pictures leading back to her personal computer. It looks like she uploaded the information onto our server using a virus. I’m sorry, Tony.”

“Fuck, Kate— Ziva, where the hell did she go?” Gibbs demanded.

“I believe she is in her office and we are here to take Agent DiNozzo into custody,” the man said, just as Tony had the man pinned to the ground. He heard shouts of protest, but he didn’t care he knew this man and he wasn’t a cop.

“DiNozzo, what the fuck,” he heard Gibbs say.

“Don’t worry, baby, he’s not a cop. How you thought I wouldn’t remember you, I’ll never know,” Tony said, as he pulled the man to his feet. “You see, I’m not that scared little kid anymore. You can’t push me around and fuck me just because I can’t fight back. Where the hell is Adler?”

“Fuck, I knew this wouldn’t work.”

“Where is Adler?” Tony repeated.

“I don’t know. All I know is that I was to take you and your little bitch son and drop you off at a predesignated location.”

Tony kneed the man in the balls, “my son is not a bitch. Ziva would you like to try out your new interrogation teaching on this man?” Tony asked.

“Yes, I do believe I need the practice. Of course, I might forget and slap up and use him for target practice.”

“Slip and I thought your knife throwing was superb last time we practiced together.”

“Slip— slap, it is all the same. I have a new set of throwing knives that I should practice with.”

“New, again? How many sets does this make?”

“Four, you can never have too many….”

“Okay— okay, I’ll give you the location. I’ll tell you all I know, just keep her away from me.”

Tony smirked at him, “Sacks, want to take his statement?”

“Sure,” Sacks said, taking control of the man.

“Nicely played,” a man said, clapping behind Tony.

“Who said I was playing?” Tony said, turning to find a black man with a tooth pick in his mouth staring at him.

“Leon Vance, Assistant Director, NCIS,” he said, sticking his hand out for Tony to shake.

Tony cocked his head to the side and sized the man up, “McGee where the hell is the bitch director?” he snapped.

“DiNozzo,” Gibbs snapped at him.

He wasn’t losing control, but he needed to calm down and not scare his lover. “Forgive me, Assistant Director,” turning to shake the other man’s hand.

“Understandable. I’m here at the request of SecNav regarding the situation. This is a serious accusation. Do you have any proof of Director Shepard’s involvement?”

“Yes, sir,” McGee piped up.

Vance just looked at him.

“If— if you come here, I can show you what I found, sir.”

While Vance and McGee had a pow-wow regarding Shepard, Gibbs pulled Tony behind the stairs to talk.

“DiNozzo, you need to….”

“No. Don’t put that wall up between us, Jethro. I’m focused, baby. I know what I’m doing.”

“Get away from him,” Shepard said, from behind him.

“Madam Director, I’m having a private conversation with my fiancé. I also believe that Assistant Director Vance is looking for you,” Tony said, as he turned to find Shepard glaring at him.

“Your fiancé, please, Jethro will never marry a slut like you. He’s mine. He promised that once you were out of the way, Jethro would be mine.”

“Jethro is not property, Director.”

“It doesn’t matter, DiNozzo, now that Jethro knows about your previous life he’ll dump and marry me.”

Tony shook his head, “I don’t think my pregnant fiancé is going to dump me for you, but why don’t we just ask him.”

“Jenny, what the fuck did you do?” Jethro asked her.

“You’re pregnant with this slut’s baby?” she spat at him.

“Don’t call Tony a slut. They were never going to give me to you, Jenny. The plan was to kidnap me and probably sell me to some bastard.”

“No, that’s not true. I was promised….”

“Who promised you, Director?” Vance said, behind her.

“What?”

Vance narrowed his eyes at her, “who promised you?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t play stupid, Jenny,” Vance said.

“It’s over Director. Where is Neal?” Tony asked her.

“I… I don’t know.”

“Well, I guess you will be enjoying a nice prison cell in a federal….”

“I want a deal,” she demanded.

“Where is Neal,” Peter asked through gritted teeth.

“I really don’t know, but I do have a phone that they gave me. I can try to contact Kate.”

“Kate?” Tony said.

“Kate Moreau, she’s my contact.”

“Fuck.”

“Tony?” Jethro asked.

“Kate was the woman that Neal left me for, but she was just using him. It was before we met, I comforted him after she dumped him. It’s what made me force him into therapy. We need that phone.”  

“We’ll get it.”

“Tone, Mrs. Peterson is here,” Toby said.

Tony took a deep breath, “I can’t talk to her, Toby. I’m….”

“I got it, Tone.”


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Toby had finished interviewing Marsha Peterson and although they didn’t get any information regarding the whereabouts of Adler, they did find that she had been contacted by Adler’s men and she had given them information as to the camping trip location.

Tony entered the room that Kate had put Josh and Matt in; he found Abby holding a sleeping Zoey in her arms and saw Matt sitting on the floor with Josh curled up in his lap. Josh had one hand clenching Matt’s tee-shirt and his head on Matt’s shoulder. Tony smiled, they reminded him of Neal and him, when they were younger. Tony wanted his son to be a kid for longer, but he watched Matt stroke Josh’s back and he had to sigh. He walked over to the two boys and knelt down near them. He could see the fear in Matt’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, sir. He wanted to be close and crawled into my lap. I didn’t have the heart to make him move.”

Tony smiled at the kid, “I’m not mad. I should be, this is moving way too fast, but I don’t think I can stop it. You really love him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I shouldn’t, but I do,” Matt held Josh just a bit closer to him.

“Why shouldn’t you love him?”

“He’s too good for me.”

“I felt the same about his mom. Hell, I think that about Jethro. You feel overly protective of him, don’t you?”

Matt nodded his head.

“You know he’s able to carry children, right?”

“Yeah, he told me when that guy was trying to take him from me,” Matt said, as he brushed some hair out of Josh’s face.

“Please don’t make me a grandfather too soon, kid.”

Matt looked at Tony with wide eyes, “I wouldn’t do that, sir. I’m not ready for that and neither is Josh.”

“I know you aren’t, but things happen. Josh is smart, he could have finished high school already, but he begged me to let him stay because he wanted to be normal.”

“My mom wouldn’t let me finish early. She let my brother do that and when he turned sixteen he sued for emancipation and won. She was afraid I would leave her if she let me finish early. What’s going to happen now, she’s not going to let me see him. I feel so drawn to him, is this normal?”

“I don’t know, but I have the same reaction to Jethro. I had it to Neal, but I didn’t think it was anything more than me wanting to save him. Look, they brought your mom in and she admitted to telling the bad guys about where you guys were.”

“Is she going to be charged?”

“Maybe as an accessory, but she probably will get probation or a slap on the wrist since she is cooperating. Do you want to see her?”

“Yes. Is my dad here? Did he take part in any of this?”

“No, he wanted to take you home, but until we get the bad guys you are under protective custody. I know you don’t want to be away from Josh.”

“No I don’t, but I want to get this over with. Josh… come on, babe, you need to wake up.”

“Don’t want to, Matt.”

“I know, but I need to get up and you probably need to use the restroom.”

“Yeah, I think I drank too much tea,” Josh said, as he stretched in his boyfriend’s lap. His eyes landed on his dad and he started, “Dad, please don’t blame Matt. I wanted to be close to him.”

“It’s fine, son. Come on, I’ll show you to the head and Matt has someone he needs to see. I promise you two will be reunited once he is done.”

“Okay,” Josh said, as he stood and followed his dad out of the room.

When they returned to the room Matt was gone and Peter was there holding Zoey. He smiled at them and left the room.

“Dad?” Josh asked.

“He’ll be back soon, buddy. We should talk.”

“Okay.”

“Josh, how do you feel about Matt?”

Josh blushed and ducked his head, “I like him, a lot. I know you probably don’t approve, but I don’t think I want to date anyone else.”

Tony sighed, “I do actually approve of him, but I’m not ready to be a grandfather, yet.”

“I’m not ready to be a parent either, Dad.”

“Good, and Josh—”            

“Yeah?”

“If you decided you don’t want to be with him at some point in the future— tell him. Don’t string him along; it’s not right.”

“Okay, what about Mom?”

“We have some leads and I promise you, I will bring him home to you, all right.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

Tony sighed, “I won’t lie to you. Do you remember when you were little and your Mom had problems.” Josh nodded his head. “That’s probably what we will see again, but I’m hopeful that he will be fine and he won’t try to pull away from us.”

“I don’t want him to do that to Zoey. It hurt when he did that.”

“I know it did, buddy,” Tony said, as he pulled his son into a hug.

******

Matt followed Special Agent Todd down a hallway towards some doors. She smiled at him, “she’s in here. I’ll be inside with you the entire time, all right?”

He nodded his head and waited until she opened the door before he entered. His mother was sitting at the table looking smug and he winced.

“Mom.”

“Matthew, why didn’t your father take you home?”

“Because I’m in protective custody and I don’t want to leave Josh.”

“We’ll just have to get a lawyer and make them release you.”

“Mom, why?”

“Because you shouldn’t be here.”

“No, Mom, why did you do it?”

“Tell them where that little bitch was?”

Matt flinched at the words his mother used, “his name is Josh, Mom, and yes why did you tell them?”

“Because they said they would let you go and then you wouldn’t be tied to some little bitch that was using you.”

“He is not a bitch and they were going to kill me and his step-father, Peter.”

“No they weren’t, they promised me—”

“They lied. I’m done Agent Todd. I want to see Josh again, please.”

“Of course,” Kate said.

“Matthew, he is using you. They all do that, you know this.”

“No he isn’t using me. He didn’t even want to date me at first. I made the first move, not him.”

“He’ll get pregnant, just like your brother did and trap you into a loveless marriage. I bet, just like his mother did to his father.”

“My brother did not get pregnant and trap anyone Mother. He emancipated himself from you and married his boyfriend. They are quite happy with their two kids, your grandkids, who you have yet to meet. If Josh and I were to marry and have kids someday in the future, I certainly won’t let them see you either,” Matt said, as he turned on his heels and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Are you all right?” Kate asked.

“No… I just want to see Josh, please.”

“Come on.”

******

Tony was still hugging his son, when the door opened and Matt entered looking wrecked. Tony winched, the conversation with his mother must not have gone well. He pulled back from his son, “Matt’s back.”

Josh turned and immediately stood as Matt crossed the room and embraced his boyfriend. Matt sat down and pulled Josh into his lap burying his face into his boyfriend’s neck, trying not to cry.

“We’ll get you guys some food, okay,” Tony said.

“Thanks, Dad.”

Tony left the room behind Kate, just as Fornell walked up to them.

“We got a location, Tone.”

“Let me grab my gear; how long will it take to get there?” Tony asked.

“You’re not going Tone,” Fornell said.

“Yes, I am fucking going. Now where are they?”

“Agent DiNozzo, you are too emotionally connected to this case to proceed,” Vance said.

Tony laughed, “you don’t know me Vance. I’m the only one that Neal will probably let close to him when his is found. I know how to handle him; I’ve been doing it since I we were sixteen.”

“Agent DiNozzo—”

“No. I’m not letting Peter see what— Neal wouldn’t want that. Peter is the only other person who could get close to him. I know exactly what he is going through, so unless you plan on arresting me for something that I will then sue you for, let me go, because right now we are wasting time.”

“Agent Todd will accompany you and you will play this by the book, understood. This is only a joint operation, because one of our agents was targeted.”

“I understand, completely.”

Tony grabbed his pack and was securing his weapon when he caught Gibbs doing the same. He stalked over to Jethro, “no.”

“DiNozzo?”

“Not DiNozzo. You are not going Jethro.”

“Tony—”

“I need you to stay here, baby.”

“I—”

Tony sighed, “I know this is hard for you, but you have someone else to think about,” he said, as his hand slipped down to Jethro’s not so flat belly. He leaned into him and kissed him, slow and gentle; he could feel eyes on them, but he didn’t care. He pulled back, “if you come with us, I won’t be able to focus and I need to focus. Kate will have my six. Oh, and we’re getting married when I get back. No long engagements or stupid big weddings.”

“You had better come back in one piece, Tony, because if you don’t, I’ll kick your ass. I’m not raising this kid by myself.”

“Got it, boss.”

“Go, be the hero and rescue Neal. I love you, Tony.”

“Love you, too,” Tony said, as he pulled away and headed towards the elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say I'm praying for those in Dallas, Tx and those in Nice, France.


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Warning for sappy writing. For some reason Peter and Neal decided to be way to sappy in this chapter.

Adler had left him a while ago. Neal wasn’t sure how long it had been; since this time, he was blindfolded. Adler had locked the wrist cuffs together in front of him, but he didn’t want to take the chance of more punishment if he removed the blindfold. He wanted Peter. He was cold, but he wasn’t allowed to cover-up, even with a blanket. Adler wanted Neal to beg him for every little comfort, but he wasn’t going to do that, not unless it was to protect his baby. He startled when he heard gunfire.

******

Tony was the last one into the house. The team wouldn’t let him go first, because they figured he would probably just shoot and ask questions later, they were right. He entered behind Kate and followed helping to clear rooms as they went. They were approaching one of the doors when Tony heard a click and pushed Kate out of the way just in time. He spun around and took his shot without blinking, hitting his target right in the chest. Keeping his gun trained on the downed suspect he carefully approached, kicking the man’s gun away from him.

“Is he alive?” Kate asked.

“Yeah,” Tony said, trying not to sound disappointed since it was Mitch he had shot.

“I’ll call for an ambulance.”

“Yeah, and get someone here to secure him.”

******

Neal shivered when he heard the click of the door lock disengage. He didn’t move, too afraid that he would be punish again. The door was shut and relocked, but no one had spoken. The bed dipped as a weight was added to it and he felt a hand run up his leg towards his balls. The smell of Adler’s aftershave was overpowering and the touch of his hand made Neal nauseous. He wanted to move away from the man, but to do so would only invite more punishment.

“You’re learning,” Adler said.

“Yes.”

“Not quite ready for me to fuck you, are you? Still think your _man_ is going to save you?” Adler chuckled.

“Yes,” Neal said.

“Well,” Adler said, as he began to stroke Neal trying to make him hard and aroused, “I think you are just going to have to enjoy being fucked by me, from now on.”

Neal felt something wet and cold near his entrance and he began to whimper in fear. “Please don’t,” he begged.

“As I said, I’m done waiting. I’ve waited years to have this ass again.”

Neal tried to scoot away from him, but was stopped when Adler spoke, “if you do that, Neal, I’ll make sure you can’t move while I fuck you. If you keep resisting me, you will never see your baby.”

Neal stopped moving as Adler slowly teased his entrance with his finger. He began to feel the pressure of Adler’s finger as it pushed into him, and he began to drift away in his mind.

******

Tony found the door they were looking for; Kate and Toby were right behind him as he carefully unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door to find Adler looming over Neal. His gun was trained on the man, “move away from him, Adler.”

“Ah, Tony, you came. I thought you found a new bitch to fuck.”

He wanted to shoot the man, but held himself back, “I said, move away from him.”

“Oh, I don’t think so, Tony. You were a real money maker for me, you could be that again,” Adler said, as he pumped his fingers in and out of Neal.

“Yeah, don’t thinks so,” Tony said, as he walked towards Adler and aimed his gun directly at him. “I said, move away, now.”

Adler just smiled at him and removed his fingers. He backed off the bed and held his hands out to Kate, who spun him around and forced him to the ground handcuffing his hands behind his back. She pulled him up and was pushing him out the door when he said, “you know this won’t stick. I’ll be out in a few days, Tony.”

“No you won’t.”

“I have friends in very high places, Tony. You know that, many of them fucked you.”

“They can’t help you this time. You kidnapped a spouse of a federal agent and you attempted to kidnap a federal agent. You will be going to prison for a very long time. Kate find the key for these cuffs.”

She searched the man and found a small ring full of keys, tossing it to Tony, he carefully began the process of bring Neal back to reality. He didn’t want anyone to see this, “Kate, Toby get out of here.” Once they left, he removed the blindfold, wiping away the tears on Neal’s face. “I’m so sorry, baby. I should have been more careful. Come on, you need to come back. I’ve got you, Neal,” he said, as he unlocked the cuffs on his wrists and the ones on his ankles. “Come on, Neal. Please come back,” he said, as tears started to form in his eyes. He wrapped the blanket from the bed around Neal. He wanted to clean him up, but they needed to take him to the hospital and have a rape kit done. Tony didn’t think Adler had gotten that far yet, but it still need to be documented.

“Tone—”

“Not yet, Toby. Make sure someone you trust is on Adler’s computer. He probably has all the footage of what he did to Neal, on it. Neal, baby, it’s Tony. You need to come back; your husband is outside waiting to see you. He’s been worried sick about you, we all have. Zoey, wants her mom back.” Neal blinked at Tony. Tony sighed, the first sign that Neal was listening to him. “Josh misses you, too. You should see him with Matt, we are going to watch those two; I’m not ready to be a grandparent.”

Neal blinked, “Tony— oh God. Did he?”

“No, I don’t think so. We got here in time. I’m so sorry, Neal,” Tony said, as he scooped Neal up into his arms and placed him in his lap, gently rocking him.

“Not your fault, Tony. Oh— he touched me. Please don’t let him touch me again, Tony.”

“He won’t.”

“He didn’t get to Josh, did he?”

“No, our son is safe. His boyfriend protected him. He’s a good kid,” Tony said, as he continued to rock him.

“Where’s Peter? I want Peter, Tony.”

Tony smiled into Neal’s hair, “he’s here. Do you want me to call him to come in here or would you rather go find him?”

“Bring him here, please. I need him, Tony.”

“I know you do,” Tony said, he looked towards Toby who was already on his phone. “He’ll be here soon.”

“What… what if he doesn’t want me anymore, Tony?”

“God, Neal. Of course he will still want you. None of this was your fault.”

“Tony’s right, Neal.”

“Peter,” Neal shouted as he moved off of Tony’s lap and practically leapt into Peter’s arms.

Peter hugged him for a moment and then scooped him up bridal style in his arms. Carrying him out of the room, he headed towards the front door.

“Peter, where are you taking me?”

“Away from there. There is an ambulance waiting to take us to the hospital.”

“I’m fine Peter, I don’t need the hospital,” Neal voice became agitated.

Peter ignored it and continued to walk towards the ambulance.

“Peter—”

“Neal, I need to know that you and our baby are all right, please.”

Peter felt Neal nod against his chest, but he still felt tense. He didn’t understand Neal’s reluctance to going to the hospital. He carefully placed Neal onto the gurney and was going to sit next to him when Tony called to him; he turned and found the other man frowning at him. Peter approached him, he would not back down about Neal and the hospital.

“He’s going to the hospital.”

“I know that. I’m not saying he shouldn’t; I just wanted to say don’t do what I did.”

“What?”

“Don’t let him ignore this. Don’t let him push you away, because he doesn’t think he is not good enough for you. Make certain he knows that you care about him, as much as you care for the baby.”

“I think I understand, Tony.”

“Call me. I’m going to stay and make sure nothing goes wrong,” Tony said, patting Peter on the shoulder.

******

_There were hands on him. Hands that weren’t Peter’s. They shoved something in his mouth; he wanted to gag, but he couldn’t. He was on his knees between a man’s—_

“Peter!”

“Ssh, I’m here, sweetheart. It’s over, we found you,” Peter said as he stroked Neal’s back gently.

“When can we go home?”

“Tomorrow, they wanted to keep you for twenty-four hours.”

“The baby is fine, right?”

“Yes, the baby is perfectly fine.”

“I want to go home, Peter.”

“I know sweetheart, but it’s only a few more hours.”

“Hold me, please.”

“Neal—”

“Please, I need you to replace the memories. I want to be surrounded by your smell and your arms— not his.”

“All right, sweetheart,” Peter said, climbing into the bed with Neal and pulling him against his chest.

Neal breathed deeply, relaxing in his husband’s arms.

“I was so scared, sweetheart.”

“So was I, but I knew you would find me. I love you, Peter. Don’t leave me.”

“Never, sweetheart. I could never leave you; you’re my everything. I love you so much.”

“How can you still love me, Peter, after I let him—”

“Neal, you did not let him do anything. He made you do it. He forced you to do things to him against your will.”

“But, I didn’t fight him.”

“And if you had fought him, what would he have done?”

“Hurt me and the baby.”

“I’m glad you’re safe Neal. I don’t know what I would have done if he had—”

Neal grabbed Peter’s hand and placed it on his belly, “he caressed me there, Peter. I hate him. He took something that you always did and turned it against me.”

Peter could feel Neal begin to shake, “ssh, sweetheart. We will get through this, Neal,” he said as he gently stroked Neal’s belly. He felt his husband relax enough to sleep. Peter held Neal tighter as he too drifted off to sleep.


	59. Chapter 59

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

Tony entered the hospital on his way to Neal’s room since it had been twenty-four hours and they were releasing him soon. He approached the door to Neal’s hospital room and knocked gently on it. He then slowly opened it and smiled when he saw Neal wrapped up in Peter’s arms asleep in the bed.

“Hey,” Peter said.

“Hey, how did he do last night?”

“Okay, no major breakdowns or trying to pushing me away.”

“Good, I came to take you two home.”

“Thanks— he did have a dream last night, that’s why I’m in the bed with him.”

“Did he tell you about it?”

“No.”

“Don’t worry, he will. I watched the recordings Adler made.”

Peter swallowed and held Neal tighter, “Did he—”

“No, he never penetrated him. He did make him give blowjobs and Adler did force him to um, fuck I hate this.”

“I know, so do I,” Peter said.

“Jethro is at your house with Josh and Zoey; if you want we can take both kids home with us for a few days.”

“No, I want my babies with me, Tony,” Neal said.

“Hey,” Tony smiled at him.

“How are the kids?” Neal asked.

“Zoey is doing fine. Josh is handling thinks the best he can. He misses you—”

“And?” Neal prodded.

“He’s afraid that you might pull away from him and Zoey. I tried to reassure him, but he remembers things when he was younger.”

“I understand that.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you, Neal.”

“You didn’t. He has a real concern and I’m glad you told me. Did you watch the recordings Adler made?”

“Yeah, I had to Neal. I’m so sorry.”

“How are you handling this, Tony?”

“I’m fine.”

Neal and Peter gave Tony a skeptical look, “really, guys I am handling this. Once they find all those involved then I’ll have a breakdown,” Tony said with a humorous laugh.

“Tony—” Neal started.

“I saw what my father did to you, Neal. It brought back too many memories and right now I can’t focus on those. I need to focus on something else, okay.”

Neal nodded in understanding.

“Thanks,” Tony said, “so want to talk about Josh’s boyfriend?”

“What about him?”

“I already had a chat with him about keeping… um… certain body parts away from our son, but I still think we need to keep an eye on the two of them.”

“He’s scared of you, isn’t he?” Neal said.

“Yep,” Tony said, proudly.

“Ground rules sound like a good idea,” Neal said.

“So you two ready to get out of here?” Tony asked.

“Yes,” Neal said, as Peter moved to get off the bed and find clothes for Neal.

Peter glared at Tony when he didn’t make a move to leave the room as Neal made to get dressed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be outside.”

Neal snickered at them; it was good to hear him laugh and smile some.

******

Tony was outside Neal’s hospital room waiting when his cell phone rang. “DiNozzo,” he answered.

“Tone,” Toby replied.

“What’s wrong?”

“Adler, he was released.”

“What? How could he have been released, he hadn’t even been arranged, yet.”

“It appears to be a glitch in the computer system. His record stated he wasn’t being charged and he was to be released at the beginning of the new shift. We’re trying to find him, but he seems to have gone to ground.”

“Fuck,” Tony swore.

“Tony, what’s wrong?” Neal asked.

Turning to find Neal and Peter behind him, “Adler was released by some computer glitch. Toby, I need agents sent to Peter and Neal’s house.”

“I have agents on their way to Gibbs’ right now and I’ll send some to their house as well.”

“Gibbs isn’t at our house, he’s at Peter and Neal’s.”

“Fuck,” Toby said.

“Exactly, I’m leaving the hospital now.”

******

Gibbs was at Peter and Neal’s house waiting for Tony to return with the two men. They would have released Matt into the custody of his father, but when his mother had been released Matt had begged to stay with Gibbs and Tony. His father had agreed, but once he started divorce proceedings and custody paperwork Matt would return home.

Matt, Josh, and Zoey were upstairs in Zoey’s room reading to the little girl. Jethro was in the kitchen trying to decide on food for everyone and thinking ordering pizza was looking like his best option when there was a knock on the front door. Gibbs left the kitchen to answer it, just as his cell phone rang. Answering “Gibbs,” just as he opened the door.

“Jethro, Adler is—” he heard Tony’s voice say as the world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry.


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.

“Fuck,” Tony swore as he closed his car door and started the car. Peter was riding shotgun and Neal was in the back. Tony place a call to Josh’s phone hoping his son would pick up, “Josh,” he said as soon as the phone was answered.

“Dad?”

“Josh, where are you?”

“Upstairs in Zoey’s room. What’s going on?”

“I don’t want to frighten you, buddy, but I need the three of you to find a safe place to hide. I think someone might be in the house.”

“Okay.”

“I’m on my way and there are others that should be there soon, but do not come out until I get there, got that.”

“Yeah.”

Tony hung up to find Peter on his phone talking to someone. He quickly called Kate to update her and get more personnel on their way to the house.

“Kate.”

“Tony, what’s wrong?”

“I think someone might have attacked Gibbs. He was at Peter and Neal’s house, I called to tell him that Adler was out and the line went dead.”

“I’m on my way with Ziva, I’ll call McGee.”

******

Gibbs awoke to a pounding head and a weight on him. He didn’t want to open his eyes, but he wasn’t a coward. He glared at the man pressing him down into the mattress. His arms were stretched above his head and when he tried to move them he found they were tied. He tried to use his legs to move the man, but again he found them tied down.

“Yes, I made certain you couldn’t move. I know you were a former Marine, don’t want you killing me, now do I,” Adler said.

“No such thing as a former Marine, and when I get free I’m going to kill you,” Gibbs growled at the man.

“Temper, temper, not very good for that baby you are carrying. You’re not as pretty as Neal, but I can see what Tony sees in you.” Adler’s hand slid up to Gibbs’ face and he gently stroked his cheek.

Gibbs moved his head away from Adler as much as possible, but was restrained when Adler gripped his chin in his hand.

“Feisty,” he said, as he kissed Gibbs and forced his mouth open to push his tongue in, but was confronted with Gibbs biting down on his tongue, causing the other man to cry out in pain. Adler pulled back from Gibbs and struck him across the face, hard, splitting his lip. “I’ll teach you, bitch,” Adler snarled at Gibbs.

He moved off of him and bent down near the bed to retrieve something, but Gibbs couldn’t see what. When he stood back up, Gibbs saw what looked like a leather strap in one of Adler’s hands and in the other was a ball gag. Gibbs flinched internally, but would not show it, instead he narrowed his eyes at the man, “why don’t you untie me and let’s see who wins.”

“I’m not stupid. I’ll just have to break you.”

Gibbs wasn’t going to show any fear to this guy. Adler loomed over him and forced his mouth open to shove the gag into it, Gibbs fought as best he could in his restricted position. Adler finally secured the gag around Gibbs’ head and he was reaching to release one of Gibbs’ legs to allow movement so he could flip him over onto his stomach. Gibbs waited until he was sure he could get the maximum effect and kicked Adler in the groin causing the man to double over in pain. Gibbs took the advantage and tried to get his leg up as high as he could before Adler recovered. Adler wasn’t the best at tying knots and Gibbs began working his hands loose when he first woke up and Adler was distracted with their verbal sparring. He managed to release one hand and was working on the next when Adler regained his equilibrium.

“I’m going to kill you after I rape you, bitch.”

Gibbs didn’t say anything he was too busy trying to free himself, but he saw a weapon in Adler’s hand which the man raised and pointed at him.

******

After his dad had hung up with him, Josh, Matt, and Zoey had found a place to hide. Matt grabbed a wood baseball bat he found in Josh’s room when they decided to try reaching the attic to hide in. They were grateful that Peter had insisted the attic have better access to it than a pull down ladder. He had remodeled it so they had a door and regular steps to climb. Once inside, Matt and Josh moved some heavy items against the door and also locked it from the inside.

The boys took Zoey and found an alcove in the attic to hide in; Matt wrapped his arm around his boyfriend who had his little sister in his lap, holding her tight. Matt kissed Josh’s head and whispered, “It’ll be fine, Josh. Your dad is on his way and he will rescue us.”

“I’m worried about Jethro.”

“So am I, babe.”

They sat for a bit listing to the silence and waiting. A pounding on the door made all of them jump; Matt released Josh and moved in front to protect him and Zoey.

The pounding continued for some time, until they heard the sound of wood splintering and the scraping of heavy items across the wood floor of the entry to the attic. Josh held Zoey closer to him, trying to keep her from crying out and alerting their pursuer to their location. They heard careful footsteps on the stairs and then a disembodied voice said, “I know you are there, Joshua.” They stayed silent, but their visitor did not, “not going to answer?” They said nothing.  

“Don’t you want to know who I am?” he asked.

They stayed silent.

“Very well, I’m your grandfather, the real Tony DiNozzo. If you come out and leave with me, I’ll leave your little boyfriend and sister alone, boy.”

Zoey who had been quiet up until then began to fuss.

“Ah, I thought you were up there. Now, come out boy, before I have to come get you. You won’t like it if I have to come get you.”

The three stayed as quiet as they could.

“Very well, you’ll still be worth the same to my buyer even if you have a few bruises. He only cares that you are still a virgin. I know you haven’t had time to be fucked by that boyfriend of yours.”

Josh swallowed nervously and tried to cover his sister’s ears as best he could. They heard the creak of the stairs as the man climbed them, closer and closer; Matt was poised with the bat to protect his boyfriend and the little girl. Matt waited until the man was close enough to him and he shined a bright flashlight directly into the man’s eyes, taking the swing he hit the man as hard as he could on the arm that was holding what appeared to be a knife. The man’s screams of pain were drowned out by the gunshot somewhere else in the house.

******

Tony and Peter entered the house, guns drawn. They had just cleared the bottom leave of the house when Fornell and his team showed up. Tony and Peter, with Fornell trailing them headed up the stairs clearing as they went; when they approached the Master bedroom they heard a growl and Tony was kicking the door open. They took the scene in quickly and all three agents took aim at Adler who was holding a gun on Gibbs who was semi tied to the bed. When Adler made to shoot, Tony pulled the trigger on his weapon, hitting the man in the chest. Approaching quickly, he kicked the weapon out of the other man’s hand and checked for a pulse, “call an ambulance. He’s still alive, not sure for how long.”

Peter stepped over to Tony and took his place, cuffing the suspect. Tony went to Jethro and help to finish freeing the man. Removing the gag from his lover’s mouth he said, “I’m so sorry, baby.”

“He didn’t do anything other than tie me up and kiss me. I bit him,” Gibbs said a bit smugly.

Tony laughed, but quickly sobered, “anything else hurt?”

“No, but you need to find the boys and Zoey.”

“Yeah, will you be all right?”

“Go, Tony.”

“Okay,” Tony said.

He left his fiancé and headed out with Toby on his heels to find his son and goddaughter. They finished clearing the rooms on the second floor of the house when Ziva, Kate, and McGee showed up. When they approached the door to the attic and found it kicked in Tony immediately headed towards it; carefully making his way up the stairs, he was surprised to find Matt standing over an older man. The older man was whimpering in pain and realization hit Tony that the man on the floor was his own father. He called for Fornell to get another ambulance as Kate and McGee secured the prisoner and Ziva took over guard duty.

Tony approached Matt and carefully removed the bat from his hands. “We got it, kid.”

“He… he wanted to sell Josh. Is he really your father?”

“Yeah, unfortunately,” Tony said with a sad smile.

“Dad?”

“I’m here son,” Tony said, as he opened his arms to hug his son and goddaughter. Tony dragged them out of the attic and down the stairs. He found Neal outside pacing the driveway, waiting for them to exit the house. He rushed to them once he saw them, pulling his daughter out of Tony’s arms and hugging her tightly. Josh was then pulled into his mother’s arms as soon as he assured himself that his son was not hurt in anyway. Tony looked around and found his fiancé sitting on an ambulance gurney looking disgruntled. He sauntered over to the man and gently touched his split lip.

“I’m fine, Tony. He didn’t have time to do more than rough me up a bit.”

“What else did he do?”

Jethro sighed, “I told you, he tried to kiss me, but I bit his tongue when he shoved it in my mouth.”

“He could have hurt you, baby.”

“Yeah, well, he misjudged me and when he released my one leg to flip me over I kicked him hard in groin. He was also crap at knots. I got my one hand free and was working on the second one when you came busting in,” Jethro smiled at his fiancé.

“Hey,” Tony heard Peter say behind him, “we’ll meet you two at the hospital. I need to find a hotel to stay at for now, Neal doesn’t want to come back to this house.”

“Take my apartment, Peter. I don’t use it and it’s big enough for the four of you for a bit. I’ll come help you move what furniture you want out and we can go from there.”

Tony could tell Peter was reluctant to take the offer, but decided it would be the best solution and took the offer, “thanks.”

Tony smiled at him and climbed into the ambulance to ride in back with Jethro.

“I’m fine Tony, I don’t need—”

“Yes, you do. If you don’t go to the hospital I’ll sic Ducky on you,” Tony smiled at him, causing Gibbs to scowl.

“Fine, but I’m going home tonight. I’m not staying in the hospital, even overnight.”

“Whatever you say, Jethro,” Tony said, as the doors to the ambulance shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are coming to the end of this story. Probably one or two more chapters to wrap everything up, but if anyone is interested in reading one with Josh and Matt and following their relationship, please leave a comment of yes. If there is enough interest in it I'll do one.
> 
> P.S. I was almost mean enough to leave all of you hanging when Matt and Josh heard the gunshot, but I decided that was just too mean.


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> Question for everyone: Should the baby be a Gibbs or DiNozzo or maybe a Gibbs-DiNozzo? I'm kind of on the fence with this one, help is appreciated.

Gibbs was not happy, he wanted to go home. Tony was trying not to laugh at his lover who was pouting over an ultrasound that was being requested to make certain there was no damage done to the fetus. Tony sat on the bed next to Jethro and tried to comfort him, but the glare he was given was worthy of a small chuckle.

“I just want to go home, Tony.”

“Sorry, baby. I just want to make certain you and the baby are all right.”

“Fine,” Gibbs said, as he glared at his fiancé, “but you’re making me dinner tonight.”

“What do you want?”

“Steak.”

“I could manage that,” Tony said.

“And baked potato.”

“Probably will have to stop off at the store for that.”

“With all the trimmings.”

“How about I just take you out to dinner, tonight,” Tony said.

“My favorite steak house?”

“Yes,” Tony said, as he whispered into Jethro’s ear, “and then maybe dessert at home.”

“Get a room, you two,” Toby said as he entered the room.

Tony pulled away from Jethro and smirked at his friend, “we have a room, and no, you cannot watch.”

“Tone, that was not an image I wanted to have in my brain.”

“What are you doing here, Fornell?” Gibbs asked.

“Well, I came to check up on my friend.”

“Yeah, sure, what else?”

Fornell sighed, “Adler is dead.”

“Good,” Gibbs said.

Tony just looked down at his hands.

“Tone, you know you will have to face an internal investigation.”

“I know,” Tony said, trying to offer a bright smile.

“Tony, they’ll find that you were justified,” Gibbs said.

“I know that, it’s just hard to kill anyone.”

Just then, Ducky bustled into the room followed by the Obstetrician.

“Ah, Jethro, they are ready for you.”

Gibbs just grunted at them and sat in the wheel chair grudgingly.

“Come on, after this I’ll take you to dinner,” Tony said, as he wheeled Jethro from the room.

******

“Wow,” Tony said with reverence.

“It’s still early, but from what I can tell, everything looks fine,” the doctor said.

“Um… could we get some pictures of the baby, please,” Jethro asked.

“Of course, I’ll have them printed out and brought to your room before you leave,” the tech who was running the ultrasound machine said to them.

“Thanks,” Tony said smiling at her.

Tony took Jethro back to his hospital room, hoping that they would be able to leave soon. As soon as they entered the room, Jethro headed to the bathroom. Tony sat on the edge of the bed waiting for his fiancé to return when the door to the room opened and Ducky entered.

“Hey, Ducky,” Tony said to the M.E.

“Anthony, where is Jethro?”

“Had to use the head.”

“Hey, Duck,” Jethro said, walking in behind the other man.

“Jethro!” Ducky admonished.

“Sorry, Duck. What do you need?”

“I do not need anything, Jethro. I just wished to speak to you in regards to your pregnancy and work.”

Gibbs smiled at his friend as he climbed into the bed and cuddled next to Tony, “what about it, Duck.”

“Do you plan on continuing with active field duty while pregnant?”

“No, I don’t. I plan on retiring.”

“Excuse me?” Tony asked, wrapping his arm around his fiancé.

Jethro sighed, “I was going to talk to you about it later, but after my brush with getting shot and all the emotional crap I’m experiencing because of the pregnancy, I think this is the best option.”

“Jethro, this will pass, you know that.”

“I know, Tony, but there is more to it than that, I want to be there for this baby.”

“Baby, you’ll be bored out of your mind if you aren’t working.”

Jethro smiled at him, “who said I wouldn’t be working.”

“You have a plan,” Tony said, narrowing his eye at his lover.

“Yep.”

“Are you going to enlighten us on this plan, Jethro?” Ducky asked.

“Affordable, custom baby furniture. I’ll work up until I can’t anymore and then once the baby is born I can start on the furniture and woodworking.”

“Are you sure, Jethro?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, I am,” he said, as he cuddled closer to his fiancé and closed his eyes.

“Tired?”

“Yeah,” Jethro mumbled, not noticing that Ducky had left the room. He drifted off into a light sleep, cuddled up to the warm body of his fiancé.

******

“I thought you said we were going to elope?”

“We were, but then your dad heard about it and insisted he wanted to be there,” Tony said, as he fixed his tie.

“All right, but how did this turn into almost fifteen people in our backyard for a wedding?”

“Well, once Jack was going to be there, Neal, Peter, and Zoey couldn’t be excluded. Josh was supposed to be there anyway, but then he invited Matt. Oh, hell, it snowballed from there.”

Gibbs narrowed is eyes at Tony, “I’m not being given away by my father, I’m not a woman.”

Tony snorted, “trust me, I know that. I’m still sore from last night.”

Gibbs just smirked at him.

“Yeah, yeah, just see who is sore tomorrow.”

“You,” Jethro said.

“Ha ha.”

“So, are you ever going to tell me where we are going on our honeymoon?”

“Well we sort of have a choice.”

Gibbs just raised his eyebrow at Tony.

“Your choice, either a secluded cabin in the mountains near a lake or a boat. I wasn’t sure how the boat would be with you being pregnant.”

“Cabin, not sure I can handle a boat right now. Maybe for our anniversary.”

“Hum,” he said, as he sauntered into his lover’s personal space, “I like how you think.” He kissed him deeply, but was halted from further exploration by the knock on their door.

“Dad, can’t you wait a few hours before you and Jethro… yuck,” Josh said.

“Very funny, son. Just wait,” Tony said, as he walked past Josh and left a breathless Jethro in his wake.

******

“Yes,” Jethro nearly shouted as Tony hit his prostate, again.

“Like that,” Tony said, breathlessly.

“Mmm,” was his new husband’s response.

Tony continued to push in and pull out, trying to hit Jethro’s prostate on each pass. He set a punishing pace; they would have time for slow and sweet, later. Tony had been worked up all afternoon, after the ceremony was finished, his new husband had played a dangerous game of arousing Tony. This was the result, Jethro on his hands and knees with Tony thrusting in and out from behind, hard and fast. Tony came with a shout, pouring into his new husband. Jethro whined and whimpered when Tony pulled out of him, “that’s what you get for torturing me all day.”

Jethro reached for his own erection, but was stopped when Tony rolled him onto his back, “I don’t think so, baby.”

“Tony, please, I need to cum.”

“Oh, I know you do, but I want to have some fun first,” Tony said, as he slipped two fingers into Jethro’s entrance and located his prostate. He began a gentle, but steady rub of it and engulfed the other man’s dick, in his mouth.

“Oh, fuck!” Jethro shouted, as he came down his husband’s throat.

“That was the plan,” Tony said, as he pulled off and smirked up at Jethro. He gave him a dirty look, but rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing.

“Tired?” Tony asked.

Jethro just nodded, so Tony left the bed to find a cloth to clean them up with. After he was done, he slipped back into bed and pulled Jethro into his arms. Kissing the back of his neck, “sleep, baby. I’ll fuck you some more later.”

******

Jethro was sitting on Tony’s lap, watching the sunset over the lake they were at.

“I feel ridiculous, Tony.”

“Just enjoy it, baby.”

“I’m a grown man, I should not be sitting in your lap.”

“I like you in my lap,” his husband said, as his hand slipped lower to caress his slightly protruding belly. The slow, gently motion of Tony’s hand against his belly lulled Jethro into a relaxed state. They watched the sunset in complete silence, until Tony’s hand slipped lower and dipped into Jethro’s boxers. Gripping the man’s dick, he began to play with him, enjoying the moans and groans from him. He continued to play with him, until Jethro began to whimper with need.

“What do you want, baby?”

“Please, Tony.”

“Please, what?”

“Dammit, Tony.”

Tony didn’t say anything as he continued to stroke his husband in a maddeningly slow pace that wouldn’t get him off. Jethro lasted a few moments longer, but his resolve broke, “fuck me, Tony. Please, make me cum.”

Tony smiled against his husband’s shoulder; prodding the man up off his lap, he stood and pulled his husband towards the cabin. He pulled his own boxers off and encouraged Jethro to lay on the nest of blankets and pillows Tony had set-up earlier in front of the fireplace. Tony slicked up his fingers and pushed one into Jethro’s entrance without resistance, he was still loose from their previous love making. Tony leaned down and kissed Jethro deeply making him moan and grab him to keep him in place. Tony slipped another finger in and stretched Jethro and brushed over his prostate.

“Right there, Tony.”

“Ready for me?”

“What do you— fuck!” Jethro shouted as Tony pushed all the way in, without resistance.

Tony held himself still waiting for Jethro to adjust to the intrusion; when Jethro wrapped a leg around Tony, he figured he could start moving. He kept his rhythm slow and steady, in and out, brushing the other man’s prostate on every pass. His pace stuttered when Jethro came with an unexpected shout and his muscles tightened around Tony’s dick. He resumed his pace, but it was more erratic and after only a few more thrusts he was coming too, with Jethro’s name on his lips.

******

It was dark out when Jethro came back to awareness. The only light in the room came from the fire that Tony must have started when Jethro fell asleep. He was surrounded by a warm body, that body had a proprietary hand on his slightly rounded belly. Octopus Tony gave a low growled when Jethro made to move from the nest that Tony had made them. He rolled his eyes at the other man’s passiveness; he elbowed his husband to try and get him to let go, when that didn’t work he snapped, “DiNozzo!”

“On your six, Boss,” Tony said, startling awake and releasing his husband.

For his part Jethro smirked at him and rolled so he could get up and head into the bathroom. He was relieving himself when Tony came into the room and wrapped around him, kissing the side of his neck only to receive an elbow in his ribs for his troubles.

“Ow. What was that for?” Tony asked.

“I told you not to do that when I’m pissing.”

“Oh, yeah, kind of forgot that. Sorry, but I just can’t help cuddling up to you right now.”

“Yeah, no kidding. You’re like a fucking octopus right now, Tony. You are also possessive as hell,” Jethro snapped at him.

“Um… sorry. I’ll go… um—” Tony said as he walked out of the bathroom, leaving Jethro feeling guilty and angry at himself for snapping at his husband. Once he washed his hands, he left the bathroom to find Tony, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found in the small cabin. Jethro looked out the window and found him standing on the front porch. Putting some clothes on, Jethro exited the cabin and approached his husband. Placing his hand on Tony’s shoulder, he turned the other man around and said, “I’m sorry, Tony. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m just not used to all these hormones running amuck and it’s making me confused.”

Tony sighed, “it just reminded me of the times Neal would do that to me. I know I need to respect your space, I just love you so much, Jethro.”

“I know you do, Tony. I love you, too. I’m just all over the place right now. Forgive me, Tony,” Jethro pleaded, trying to prevent the tears from escaping.

“Hey, now,” Tony said, as he gathered his husband into his arms and kissed him, pulling back he continued, “I’m really not mad, Jethro. I’ll admit I was hurt, but I understand that this is hard for you. You never expected to be in this position and I can be a possessive bastard. Let’s not let this ruin our last night here. Dance with me, Jethro.”

“Tony, there isn’t any music—” Jethro began, but then Nat King Cole’s _Unforgettable_ , began to play softly. Jethro gave in to Tony’s request and let his husband take him in his arms and proceed to dance under the stars. The music shifted to several different songs Jethro wasn’t familiar with as they continued to dance. Jethro snorted into Tony’s shoulder when the song shifted into _When I’m Sixty-Four_  by The Beetles.

_Send me a postcard, drop me a line Stating point of view Indicate precisely what you mean to say Yours sincerely, wasting away_

_Give me your answer, fill in a form Mine for evermore Will you still need me, will you still feed me. When I'm sixty-four_

As the song ended, Tony whispered close to Jethro’s ear, “the answer is yes, Jethro, forever and always.”

Jethro blushed and buried his face in Tony’s neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not write the lyrics to the song I used, just borrowed them for the story. 
> 
> Lyrics are taken from The Beetles 'When I'm Sixty-Four' and credited to  
> Songwriters: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY  
> © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
> 
> PS: We played that song at my wedding reception. It was the one song my husband and I both wanted during our reception.


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine. Feedback is welcome.
> 
> I'm not sure if I should blame Musicckick2004 and ShadowWolfsDen for how this chapter turned out or dedicate it to the two of them. So I will do both; I hope you like it.

Gibbs waddled into the bullpen with his one cup of decaffeinated coffee for the day, that made him growl. He couldn’t wait to have the baby and have his body back and he was never letting Tony near him again. He sent a glare to his husband who was sitting at his desk innocently ignoring the death glare Gibbs shot him. Jethro wanted to see his feet again, he wanted to be the one who put his own shoes on and tie them. He was tired of having to ask Tony to do it for him, because he couldn’t reach his feet and he was not wearing slip-ons. He sat at his desk, just as his phone rang, “Gibbs,” he answered.

“Agent Gibbs,” the man on the other end said.

“Yes.”

“This is the warden of Sussex State Prison. Your name was listed on prisoner Anthony DiNozzo Senior’s emergency contact information.”

“Yeah, what happened to him?”

“He was attacked last night. He’s still alive and currently in our infirmary; however, he will be moved to a nearby hospital for treatment and surgery. His file states that you are to be notified of any changes in his status.”

“Make sure he is secured. If he escapes—”

“We always secure our prisoners, sir.”

Gibbs just grunted and hung up on the man.

“Tony,” Gibbs said, making to stand from his chair with some effort.

“Boss?”

Gibbs gave him a sad smile, “not your boss.”

“Jethro,” Tony said, as he approached Gibbs’ desk, “what’s wrong?”

“Ah, hell,” Gibbs said, as he decided staying seated was better than standing, “do not snicker, DiNozzo.”

“No snickering here, Jethro,” Tony said, chocking back on his laughter.

Gibbs just gave him a death glare before he started talking, “that call was from the warden where Senior is, he was attacked last night and is being transported to a hospital for treatment and surgery.”

“I really don’t care, Jethro. You look tired, you want me to take you home?”

“Yeah,” Gibbs said, as Tony reached out to help him up from the chair. Gibbs just gave everyone on the floor a death glare as he and Tony headed towards the elevator. Gibbs had been getting tired easier as the pregnancy progressed. He was on doctor ordered half days until he delivered.

Tony was relieved when several days later, they received the call that Senior was being returned to prison after his stint in the hospital. Tony was assured his father would not be released from prison since he had attempted to kidnap a minor for the purposes of prostitution. He had been sentenced to twenty years.

******

“Tony,” Jethro hit his husband on the chest. When he didn’t awake he tried again, “Tony.”

“Huh, what’s wrong, baby?”

“Um, I think it’s the baby.”

“What’s wrong with the baby?”

“Nothing, I think I’m in labor, Tony,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“I’m up, I’m up,” Tony said, rolling out of bed and pulling his husband up onto his feet and grabbing his phone. He helped get Jethro down the stairs and headed back up to wake Josh, Neal, and Zoey. Peter had to go on a business trip for a few days and wouldn’t be back until the early afternoon, so Neal, Zoey, and Josh were staying with Tony and Jethro.

Once everyone was awake and in the car, Tony drove to the hospital at a reasonable speed, even if Jethro thought he was driving like a grandma.

Tony left the other three in the waiting area while he and Jethro were taken into a labor and delivery room. Tony was wiping Jethro with a cool cloth and praying that the man would let go of his hand soon, since he didn’t think he would be able to feel it if Jethro continued to crush it.

“I know it hurts, baby.”

“You are so never getting near me again, Tony.”

“I know,” Tony said, as he kissed his sweaty forehead.

“Mister DiNozzo,” a nurse walked into the room, looking around nervously.

“Yeah, that would be me,” Tony said.

“Um… we have a slight problem.”

“What would that be?”

“Did you came in with another man named Neal Burke?”

“Yes, he’s out in the waiting area with our son. What happened?”

“Well, he went into labor, sir. Um… which one is your husband?”

“Neal’s in labor?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dammit, Jethro I need my hand, please.”

“You are so not leaving me, Tony.”

“I’m not, baby. I’m calling Peter and Abby. I’ll have Abby come sit with Josh and Zoey; pray Peter gets here soon.”

“Um, sir, who is Neal Burke to you?”

“Oh, he’s my ex-husband.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried you were some bigamist or something.”

“What?”

“Well, you came in with two pregnant people and the teenager kept calling you his dad and Mister Burke his mom… I wasn’t sure what to think,” she said, defensively.

Tony just glared at the woman; he pulled his cell phone out and sent a quick text to Abby asking for her help and then called Peter.

******

Tony was going to kill Peter. It had been two hours since he called the man and he still hadn’t arrived yet. Tony was not going to be able to write or do anything with either of his hands by the time they were done. Jethro was almost ready to push when Abby came barging into the room.

“Abby! Help me, please,” Tony pleaded.

She snickered at him, he looked pathetic, stuck between Neal and Jethro with each having a death grip on his hands.

“Need some help, Tony?” she asked.

“Yes, please take over with Neal.”

“Sure,” she gave him her best smile.

Thirty minutes later Tony was holding his brand new son, when Neal screamed at him. Tony sighed, “coming,” and handed the baby back Jethro. They were moving Jethro out of the room and into a different room until after Neal delivered. Tony sent Abby with his husband and new son.

Thirty minutes later Tony glared at Peter when he entered the hospital room and breakneck speed.

“Did I miss it?” Peter asked.

“No,” Tony hissed angrily at him, but softened when he saw how panicked Peter was, “get over here and take over, before you do miss it, please.”

******

Tony awoke to find his husband staring at him with an amused look on his face.

“Hey, need anything?” Tony asked.

“No, I’m fine. Is he asleep?”

“Yeah, Jethro, I’m so sorry that I stayed with Neal, but I just couldn’t leave him alone while he was in pain. Please forgive me,” Tony begged.

Jethro sighed, “Tony, if you left him like that, you wouldn’t be the man I fell in love with. You did what you had to do. Now come here and help me decide on a name for the kid.”

Tony hurried to his husband’s side and gently sat on the bed next to him and gave him a quick kiss. “Any ideas?” he asked.

“Noah.”

“I like it. How about Jackson for the middle name?”

“Noah Jackson, good name.”

“Noah Jackson Gibbs,” Tony said proudly.

“Noah Jackson Gibbs-DiNozzo,” Gibbs retorted.

“Jethro—”

“Tony—”

“All right, Noah Jackson DiNozzo-Gibbs; even if that is a mouthful for the poor kid.”

“I can live with it,” Jethro said, just as the baby began to cry.

******

Peter held his son in his arms and smiled at him. He was just sitting down to rock the baby, when his new daughter began to cry. Twins. How the hell were they going to do this? They now had three kids in diapers. They would need help; Neal couldn’t do it all by himself and Peter could just quit his job to stay home and help.

“Peter, what are you worrying about?”

“How we take care of three little one as the same time.”

“Bring her here, please.”

Peter stood and carefully picked up the baby and brought her to Neal. He watched Neal’s face light up when he saw their daughter as she was place in his arms.

“I’m glad you made it, Peter. Do not ever do that again.”

“Not planning on it. We need to name them.”

“Samuel and Emma,” Neal stated.

“I like those names. Let me guess you have middle names picked out already.”

“I had May picked out for her.”

“I like it, sweetheart. What about him?”

“Well originally I liked Robert, but now I’m thinking I might prefer Anthony.”

“After Tony.”

“Yes, Peter. He stayed with me, even after his own son was born. He sacrificed those first moments with his husband and child to stay with me, until you got here. He didn’t have to do that, Peter.”

“I know, sweetheart. I’m not upset, in fact, I’m grateful to him for staying with you,” Peter said, as he kissed his husband.

“Now none of that. Didn’t anyone tell you that is how you end up with kids,” Tony joked, as he entered the room pushing Jethro in a wheelchair.

“Hey, how are you doing Jethro?” Neal asked.

“Fine, sore.”

“Tell me about it,” Neal snorted.

Tony looked at Neal and then at Peter and did a double take, “wait a minute, twins?”

“Yeah,” Neal said, with a slight blush.

“You didn’t tell me you were having twins, Neal,” Tony pouted.

Neal bit his lip, “I know… um… I wanted to surprise everyone. Where are the kids?”

“At our place with Abby. Jackson is on his way here to see his new grandson and he will be staying for a bit.”

“I’m stuck her for a few days, could you um… keep Zoey?”

“Yeah, I’ll have Abby bring them by to see you in the morning.”

“Thank you, Tony,” Peter said.

Tony just nodded. The four men sat talking for a bit, until both Neal and Jethro became tired. Tony returned his husband to his room and crawled into bed with him for a nap.

“I love you, Tony.”

“I know. I love you, Jethro,” Tony said, as his husband relaxed in his arms and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter of this one, but I have a few ideas for several different sequels to this one, but first I'm going to finish my SGA story, Mates, since it has been languishing while I worked on this one.
> 
> I just wanted to thank everyone who read this story and enjoyed it. Thank you for all the comments and kudos, they are much appreciated. 
> 
> This story turned out much longer than I expected and it took so many different twists and turns as I wrote it that it was very different from what I originally had in mind.


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